Ars Virgarum
by Nuin
Summary: After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed?
1. Prologue De Floribus et Amicis

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Floribus et AmicisAuthors : DracoCrescendo & Nuin**  
**Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Word count : 3063 so far.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayel & Flosspyromaniac  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Floribus et Amicis_ Of Flowers and Friends.

_Prologue : De Floribus et Amicis_

The desk was littered with gadgets of all kinds. There were small ones that glittered in the bright light from the large windows, square boxes filled with every sweet imaginable. A silver inkwell stood dust free on the edge of the desk and in between everything else were large stacks of papers propped up on the little place that was left. The circular room with all its portraits of snoring headmasters and headmistresses, with its rows upon rows of bookshelves and large objects occupying the floor, was quiet except for the slow breathing of the portraits and the odd shuffle of heavy robes against the floor.

Pacing slowly around the room, Minerva McGonagall came to a stop in front of a gilded frame, its white canvas nearly blinding her with its emptiness. It had simply appeared on a vacant spot at some point during the last few days with a small name plaque at the bottom of the frame. Every time she had been in this office since the barren picture had appeared, she had stood in front of it, willing its occupant to make his debut arrival.

"Albus…" She sighed and went over to the large chair behind the desk, sitting down. McGonagall kept her eyes on the frame for a few more minutes, until a soft melodic trill from her left side brought her attention to something else entirely. A small sad smile spread across her lips. "What will we do without him, Fawkes?"

She got another weak trill in response from the once vibrant red and gold bird. If any, Fawkes seemed to be the one taking Albus' death the hardest. Its feathers were lacklustre in their colour, now a dull, lifeless red with the odd grey streaks. Its eyes were dim with shadows and no longer gleamed with a keen intelligence. The once proud head hung close to the phoenix's chest in sorrow and its wings were tucked close to its body, wrapped around the thin form. Occasionally it would lift its head slightly and let out a small tune to let others know that it was still there for them.

Reaching out with one hand, McGonagall gently stroked Fawkes' head. "Everything is changing now and Albus is no longer here to guide us." She kept thinking back to the funeral, the only thing that had made it all real to her. He was truly gone. But the world still kept going and a war was brewing, parents were taking their children out of the school in fear of their lives and the Ministry wanted to close down Hogwarts.

That was not something she would allow. Thankfully it wouldn't come to that. The Board of Governors had voted against closing down Hogwarts, as had the teachers. And so the school would stay open, no matter what the Ministry wanted, and be open to anyone who wished to learn. Of course she would need to arrange for extra security, perhaps some of the Order members would agree to help secure the grounds and the castle. The children would need a safe place to spend their time.

McGonagall sighed and glanced once again at the empty frame, then she got up from the chair and began walking toward the door. The Hogwarts Express was leaving soon and she wanted to see the children off, but not before saying hello to Albus. She walked out of the office, closing the door quietly behind her.

* * *

Harry was sitting down in the grass, looking at the sun's reflection playing on the smooth surface of the lake. In a matter of days, everything had changed so suddenly. It was quieter in the hallways and at mealtimes, students and teachers alike. Even the Giant Squid and the Merpeople seemed to mourn over the recent loss of Albus Dumbledore. Harry glanced over his shoulder at his outer robe, which he had dropped about half a metre away from him, before his gaze was drawn to the white tomb again. A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed it with difficulty, before looking away from the grave and back at the lake. He heaved a sigh, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back on his hands.

"Everything's changed," he mumbled to himself.

"Indeed it has." McGonagall answered softly as she came to halt by Harry's side.

She had spotted him, sitting by the lake on her way down from the front step of Hogwarts' main entrance. Glancing at the tomb, wherein Albus' body was hidden by the white marble, she sighed. It had barely been days, since his burial and already she needed his advice more than anything. She needed him to be there and she wasn't the only one. Looking at the young man Harry had grown into, McGonagall reached down and rested her hand on his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze before removing her hand and straightening up again.

"But the question is, what will happen now?"

Harry glanced up at her, noticing how much older she looked than just a few months ago. He slowly got up, picking up his robe in the process. He could barely look at her, his attention being drawn by the evident emotions readable in her eyes, so he stared straight forward instead while he remained silent. Noticing his silence, McGonagall crossed her arms and wished she had something to occupy her hands with. She turned her head away from him and gazed out over the lake, a small smile flitted across her lips, when she saw one of the many tentacles of the squid wave at them from below the water surface.

"What will you do…Harry?" She asked, still keeping her eyes on the shimmering surface of the lake. "With the students being pulled out and those wanting to come back, which group do you belong to? Can we expect you back next year?"

Shaking his head slowly, he slung the robe over his shoulder. "No," he whispered, "I am not coming back. There's something else that requires my attention."

McGonagall turned her head around to look at him, her eyes questioning. "You are absolutely sure? And the Dursleys?"

"I promised Professor Dumbledore I would stay with the Dursleys until my next birthday. I intend to keep that promise." He paused, lowering his voice to a whisper again, "Yes. Even though Hogwarts has been my home for years and no matter how much it pains me, I've made up my mind."

She sighed, then nodded. "Hogwarts has been the home to many in its long life, but at some point everyone will have to leave it. I trust that you will take good care of yourself. Albus made you promise that you stay with your…relatives. And I will ask the same, no foolishness, Mr. Potter." McGonagall gave him a small smile.

Harry slowly turned towards her. "I don't believe there's any time for foolishness, Professor." He calmly answered. There was a short silence, before he spoke again. "Has the Ministry decided to keep the school open then? I thought they would... close it?"

"They have, thankfully there were enough teachers and parents willing to let Hogwarts stay open to persuade them. Even the Board of Governors agreed. In a time such as this, a safe haven is needed. Albus would have wanted it."

McGonagall answered as she bent down and picked up a small, flat stone, then pulled out her wand and waved it over the smooth surface of the rock. Murmuring a few words, she transfigured it into a bouquet of lilies. She put away her wand and reached into one of her pockets, taking out a handful of lemon drops, she had found earlier that day in her office from when Albus had joined her for tea once. McGonagall took a few steps toward the white tomb and placed her offerings on the steps, then moved back to Harry's side. Harry watched her from the corner of his eye, following her actions as he nodded at her words. It was true. Dumbledore would have wanted to school to remain open. It suddenly came to him that he wouldn't be here next year, within the castle's familiar walls. Folding the black robe over his arm, he plucked at the material. He would miss Hogwarts for sure, but there were other things that needed his attention. At least he wouldn't be alone...

As she came back to his side, McGonagall glanced at him quietly, before speaking. "You will always be welcome here, Harry. If you should need help, Hogwarts will aid you. Trust that. Have you thought about what you will do, once your birthday arrives, since you are not returning to this place?"

"I know, but thank you, professor." He gave a small smile. "I suppose I will be moving to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, since it's legally mine. Things have already been arranged to send Kreacher to work here, at Hogwarts. He doesn't like me very much, I'm afraid, but the feeling is mutual."

"How do you intend to get there?" She asked, her eyes searching his face for answers, not commenting on the fact that Kreacher being moved to Hogwarts. _'That house elf. Mercy on us all.'_ McGonagall thought.

"Not sure," Harry frowned, "First, I thought about Apparating, but I'm not allowed to before I get my license; so I figured I'd practice while living at the Dursleys, but I'm not allowed to perform magic before my seventeenth birthday. So I suppose I'll just use Muggle transportation."

McGonagall studied Harry for a while, her fingers tapping slightly against her bent elbows as she had crossed her arms again.

"And if I offer to pick you up on the night of your birthday? Then you wouldn't have to deal with that dreaded transportation system, the Muggles' favour."

Harry blinked, staring at her for a moment, before a smile spread over his lips. "That would be great, professor."

A smile of her own graced her lips and she nodded. "Then I will be at your relatives' house, when the clock strikes midnight on your birthday. No need to stay there longer than necessary." McGonagall said and looked one last time at the lake. "However I do believe you have a train to catch in a few minutes. I trust you've packed everything you'll need?"

"I will be looking forwards to it, professor." Harry nodded. "Yes, everything is ready."

"Good and remember, if you need anything… Hogwarts is just an owl away." She inclined her head toward the castle with a small jerk. "Now, run along and meet up with your friends."

Looking at the castle, he nodded. "I'll keep it in mind, Professor."

He glanced back at her for another moment, before starting to walk off in the direction of Hogwarts to collect his trunk and owl, before heading down to the Hogwarts Express, which was ready to take the students home.

* * *

His head was hanging half out of the compartment door of the Hogwarts Express and he turned it to look either way. Grumbling, when he didn't find what he was looking for, Ron retreated back inside and sat down beside Hermione. He settled back against the seat ran a hand through his bright red hair.

"Where the bloody hell is he?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his display and continued to read the book she had in her lap. "I have no idea what you're so worried about, Ronald. Harry will be here shortly, I'm sure."

"Hermione!" He whined at her use of his full name and crossed his arms with a pout, his eyes still turning toward the now closed compartment door for any sign of his best friend. This time, she simply chose to ignore him. She really didn't feel like dealing with his childish behaviour right now. It seemed that everyone had been a bit tense the last few days and Ron's behaviour surely wasn't helping.

Harry got on the Hogwarts Express only mere minutes before it was supposed to leave. He sauntered through the corridor, peering into the various compartments for any sign of his friends. When he spotted Hermione reading and Ron pouting, he couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh, before sliding the door open.

Hermione looked up from her book at the door opening and gave Harry a small smile, before giving Ron a pointed look. "See, Ronald? I told you he'd be here."

Ron looked at Harry with a smile, then glanced out of the window as the train whistle blew, signalling that they were ready for departure. "About time you got here, mate. Where were you anyway?" He frowned.

Harry gave a shrug, not having the heart to return both of his best friends' smiles. "The lake. Just something I had to do."

He settled himself down beside the window, leaning his chin on his hand as he watched the landscape outside starting to fade as the train began to gain speed.

Ginny walked past the compartments full of teachers and students, some were laughing and joking, while others were more sombre, reading or talking in low tones. She sighed, when she couldn't find a single free spot anywhere, until she came to one of the last compartments. Her brother, Hermione…and Harry was in there. She swallowed. Great. She could have gone further down to see if there were other free spots, but she just didn't feel like it. So with a deep breath, Ginny opened the door and looked at Ron, purposely refusing to look at Harry.

"Got room for one more?"

Ron looked up at Ginny and then at Harry. With a shrug, he got up and sat down beside Harry.

"Umm, sure. You can sit by Hermione and talk or do that girl stuff I don't understand." He didn't think Harry, or Ginny for that matter, would be up to sitting right beside each other for the time being.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but did put her book aside. She looked at Ginny, noticing her slight discomfort. Sighing softly, she wondered what this trip was going to be like and she wished she was home already, something she hadn't wished in years.

Harry glanced over his shoulder as someone else entered their compartment. When he saw it was Ginny, he felt a chill running down his spine, but tried to hide it by going back to staring out the window. _'This is just great.'_ He thought to himself, _'Just what I needed.'_

Ginny nodded and sat down beside Hermione with a sigh, opening the book she had brought. Her brother was such a dunce sometimes. Still she refused to look at Harry, she just couldn't deal with seeing his green eyes and that black hair of his and not being able to be with him. Suddenly this seemed like a very bad idea. She shouldn't have come in here. She couldn't wait for the train ride to be over.

Tapping his foot against the floor, Ron shot glances at the other three people in the compartment noticing the awkward silence that now filled the space. He wished he had something to do to take his mind of things, but he certainly wasn't going to be reading a book like either of the girls and Harry didn't look like he would be up to playing a game. And so he remained silent.

Harry thought back about the night Dumbledore was murdered, about how he had almost killed Malfoy himself and how he had let Snape get away. He clenched his hand into a fist, leaning his forehead against it. 'How could I have failed like this? How could I have let it come this far?' Heaving a sigh, he closed his eyes.

Hermione watched all of them from over the page she was reading. It seemed like they were all afraid to say _something_. She pursed her lips and closed her book with a slam.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. Ginny, stop trying not to look at Harry; Harry, stop looking out of that bloody window and Ronald... Stop tapping your foot! We are friends... We're not supposed to sit here like this, afraid to say something wrong!"

Ron nearly jumped, when Hermione's outburst came, he grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "Umm, so… Hermione. What are you going to do this summer?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother's behaviour and almost did so at Hermione's words as well, but the other girl did have a point. They couldn't just sit around like this, it would only make things more awkward.

Harry turned around to face Hermione, a rather cool look in his eyes. "I just don't feel like talking, okay? Right now, I have other things on my mind."

Hermione nearly fumed at Ron's question. "Ronald," she ground out between clenched teeth, "Are you really _that_ thick?" But before Ron got the chance to interrupt, she was already glaring at Harry. "Don't you think we all have got things on our mind, Harry? We're your friends, we're supposed to help you. You're not the only one mourning, you know."

Harry let out a derisive snort. "You think you have the faintest clue of how I'm feeling right now, Hermione? You have no idea what it's like."

Ron kept glancing between his two best friends as they snapped at each other, only to have Hermione stop for a moment and turn on him, before ripping into Harry again.

"Hey, stop it both of you. We're all mourning, we just show it differently, but it's not a reason to yell at each other…" Ron sighed.

Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "Ron's right, Harry. We shouldn't fight."

Harry heaved a sigh and looked away. "I know," he muttered, "but nothing's ever going to be the same again."

"Umm… well, good." Ron nodded a bit surprised that they had agreed so readily.

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache come on. She didn't want to fight with Harry. She wouldn't forgive herself since things were already hard enough. Things were not going to be easy the next months. There were a lot of emotional issues that needed to be dealt with and of course, they would not simply be solved in a matter of days. It would take time. Everything would take time...

Tbc.


	2. 01 De Familia et Oscibus

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Familia et Oscibus  
Authors: DracoCrescendo & Nuin  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Wordcount : this chapter : 6649 - total wordcount : 9712  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayel & Flossoyromaniac  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Familia et Oscibus_ Of Family and Owls.

* * *

_Chapter 1 - De Familia et Oscibus_

"_Dear Harry,_

_How are you holding up there? I know it's only been a few days since we've said our goodbyes at the train station, but I've been worried about you, and Ron too, of course. I have the feeling things have really changed in a short amount of time. Please tell me I'm mistaken. I wouldn't know what to do without my best two best friends right now. I'm looking forward to seeing you on Bill and Fleur's wedding._

_I have attached an article from the Daily Prophet as I know you don't get it there, in Little Whinging. It's about Dumbledore. After all the lies they've published about the school, him, you and Voldemort, they've finally done something good._

_Love,_

_Hermione."_

* * *

_Daily Prophet - June 1997_

_In Memoriam Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Last June, the man who's been said to be the greatest Headmaster of Hogwarts of all times has been taken away from the Wizarding World at the age of 157. He began his career as a Transfigurations professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he took the position as Headmaster after Armando Dippet resigned. Albus Dumbledore allowed any magical students into his school as he believed they should all have the right to learn about what's been given them at birth._

_He's also known for defeating one of the greatest Dark Wizards alive, Grindelwald, in 1945; and for discovering the twelve uses of dragon blood. He was rewarded with an Order of Merlin First Class and Grand Sorcerer; and held both titles of Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot._

_Albus Dumbledore was one of the greatest wizards of all times. He will be sadly missed by all._

_Requesciat In Pacem._

* * *

"_Hermione,_

_I'm alright, I suppose. I've been thinking a lot actually. I'm sorry about the ride home, I didn't mean to react like that. It was just stress, I guess. We're going to need each other, so let's not think about the bad stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing you, too. I haven't asked my relatives yet, but I'll be there no matter what. Promise._

_Yeah, you're right, Hermione. They _did_ something good for Dumbledore after all._

_Harry._

* * *

Harry could remember the sight of the bars in front of his bedroom window like it was yesterday, but luckily for him, they had long since been removed. The weather was nice outside, but still, Harry chose to remain inside. Surprisingly, ever since he came back from Hogwarts, the Dursleys had relatively left him alone. They didn't saddle him up with a list of chores, nor did Dudley pester him like he used to. They seemed to avoid him for some reason. Harry couldn't have wished for anything better, especially now. He didn't quite feel like talking about what had happened the past school year, not that his relatives would bother to ask anyway. 

Weeks had passed fairly quickly so far, but now time seemed to crawl. It was only a short while before he would move away from his relatives forever. He was looking forward to moving out, but then he remembered the years he had spent in this house. Even if his relatives had treated him like shite, Dumbledore had made sure that Harry would always be safe here, thanks to his mother's sacrifice and love. Part of him wanted desperately to hold on to that protection, but he was becoming seventeen soon and it was simply time to move on. Thus McGonagall would pick him up on the night of his birthday to take him to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, but before that happened, there was still Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Harry liked to think he was looking forward to it, and maybe in some way he was, but it just seemed to put more pressure on him somehow and he couldn't pretend he liked the idea of that. He hadn't even asked Uncle Vernon if he was allowed to attend the wedding, but he was sure they had spotted the personal invitation he had left on the kitchen counter. And truthfully, they would be glad to get rid of him for an entire day. Harry actually wondered what had made them to back off like that. Was there something they were suddenly afraid of...?

* * *

"_Dear Harry,_

_This owl is actually pretty pointless, so you can look at it as another greeting with a Daily Prophet article attached. I'm sure you'll be interested to know that Hogwarts _will_ reopen in September after all._

_Love,_

_Hermione."_

* * *

_Daily Prophet - July 5th 1997_

_Hogwarts reopens in September_

_It is rumoured that Albus Dumbledore, late Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was murdered by followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but so far, no one has been able to confirm or deny this statement. Does this mean that Hogwarts is no longer safe for students? How many parents will allow their children to return to school after the tragedy that has taken place mere weeks ago?_

_After the loss of Albus Dumbledore, it was almost certain that the school would not be reopened for the students next year. Now, the Board of Governors has decided that Hogwarts is allowed to reopen in September, but under certain circumstances, which have not been made public knowledge. Minerva McGonagall, new Headmistress of the school, was not available for comments._

* * *

"_Dearest Draco,_

_(I hope that my letter finds you well, hopefully you aren't hurt or injured. - **scratched out)**  
_

_How are you? Where are you? Are you safe? Please, tell me that you're safe, I couldn't stand it, if something had happened to you._

_You won't be coming back to Hogwarts this year, will you? I didn't think so, either. It would be too dangerous for you. Mother and Father have agreed that I should return to keep up the façade of being a normal student. I would much rather be by your side. Are you sure you're safe?_

_With all my love,_

_Pansy."_

Draco crumpled the parchment in his hand with a sigh, before throwing it into the fireplace. He didn't have the heart to reply, nor did he think it would be very safe. Pansy should not know his current location. In fact, she shouldn't know anything about him anymore. He watched the flames lick at the letter, devouring it with their orange-red tongues. Soon, there would be no trace left of it. Maybe that was for the best. Snape watched silently as Draco tossed the letter into the flames, nodding with consent of the action. The girl shouldn't be owling him at all, it would only cause unnecessary difficulties. His black eyes shifted to look at Draco.

"Never reply to any of her letters, Draco." He said solemnly.

"I know," Draco mumbled, not even bothering to look up.

"Good. It would only cause too many problems. We cannot allow our location to be known to others." Snape walked over to one of the many bookshelves that lined the walls of the living room and skimmed the books.

"I know." Draco repeated, stressing his words a little more this time.

Even though he was grateful to Snape for taking him in, he was slowly growing tired of the ever existing rules. There was nothing left he was allowed to do. He was supposed to sit there, keep his mouth shut and do what he was told. '_Bloody awesome._' he thought grimly to himself. Snape resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. Youth and their ever present need for breaking the rules. While he could condone it at school for the Slytherins, this was a matter of life and death. Did Draco really wish to be presented to the Dark Lord after his failure? Snape knew it would only be a matter of time, before it happened. But for now, they needed to keep a low profile.

"Do not take that tone with me, Draco," he sneered.

At that, Draco snapped his head up and glared at his former Potions professor. "I will take any bloody tone I bloody want," he snapped, "I appreciate what you've done for me, but I didn't _ask_ for it."

Simply arching an eyebrow, Snape didn't answer. It wasn't time to tell Draco exactly why he was doing this, if it ever would be. But for now the brat was tethering on his nerves.

"Hn," he finally uttered.

Draco knew better than to try and start a discussion with Snape and under any other circumstance, he probably would have never tried. He'd seen Potter and Snape go at it for years and he knew better than to get on Snape's bad side. And now, he had snapped at him and expected the man to sneer back an answer, but instead, there was nothing. He could admit to himself that he was surprised, but he wouldn't let it show on his face. '_Showing emotions make you weak, Draco._' He remembered his father's words.

Slowly, he got up, turning back to watch the last bit of Pansy's letter being digested by the flames, before looking at Snape again.

"I'll be in my room." His voice was cool and calm as he walked away, but in reality, Draco didn't feel so calm after all.

Snape watched as Draco left the room and waited until the boy was out of his sight. Then waited a few more minutes, in case Draco had forgotten something and came back for it. Only then did he slowly raise his hand, the one he had made the vow with, and looked at it. He was trapped between warring powers, but then... when hadn't he been? All he could do now, was to fulfil his vow and wait.

* * *

"_Dea... -Harry…_

_I just wanted to know how you're doing, the Dursleys aren't too harsh, are they? I hope that you're doing alright._

_Harry, I'm still not over what you said. Why can't we be together? I don't care whether You-Know-Who might use me against you… he's already done it before. But you came for me. You saved me._

_I'm going back to Hogwarts next year, but you probably knew that. Mum wouldn't hear of anything else. When Ron said that neither three of you would return, she nearly blew up. It was bad enough that the twins dropped out, she said. But you know how she is._

_Bill is doing better, in case you wondered. We were allowed to take him home a couple of days ago and Mum has gone into overprotective mode. His scars are healing nicely, but they'll never go away. Much like Phlegm, she's still here too. And I doubt she'll go away, especially now that the day of the wedding is getting closer._

_Hope to see you at the wedding…_

_Lo... - Ginny_

_P.S. (Hi Mate…Stop it Ron. - **scratched out**) Ron says hi."_

"_Ginny,_

_The Dursleys are kinda quiet, so I'm fine. Thanks._

_There's not much to be said, Ginny. I will not take the bloody risk of you being used as a target. We were lucky down in that chamber, you _almost_ died there. Next time, one of us could die we might not be so lucky. You'll be safer at Hogwarts than at home. I hope._

_Glad to hear Bill is doing better, but you know you'll have to get used to having Fleur around. Gin, she's going to _marry_ your brother. _

_I'll be there. Tell Ron I said hi back._

_Harry."_

* * *

Bill was grinning brightly with his arms wrapped around Fleur's waist as they walked toward the tables in the centre of the backyard. Ron followed, watching his brother and his wife with a small blush on his cheeks. It had been a long time since he had harboured a crush on Fleur and it was long gone, but he still couldn't help but blush when he saw her. Maybe it was just the air about her that made him act like that. Shrugging Ron sat down by one of the tables, right beside Harry and Hermione. 

Hermione couldn't stop thinking about how happy Bill and Fleur looked. Of course, they were supposed to be happy, it was their wedding day, but then again there was a war going on. She heaved a sigh. Strange how one event could make people forget about all the bad things in the world, even if it only was for a little while. Hermione thought Fleur looked wonderful, she was wearing an azure blue dress which simply looked stunning on her. Making sure no one else noticed, she snuck a quick glance at Ron. '_Ah well. Maybe one day._'

Ron had the strange feeling that someone was watching him, even if it was just for a moment, and he turned his head around to look for the source. In the process he snuck a glance at Hermione and smiled, she was really pretty in her simple, but elegant dress. Quickly he looked away and continued his perusal of the guests, thankful that he, at least, wasn't wearing the same dress robes as he had worn at the Yule Ball in their fourth year. Finally his eyes landed back on Harry and he nudged him slightly in the side, shooting him a grin.

"Glad you could come, mate."

Harry smirked to himself when he saw Ron look at Hermione, even it was only for a second. When Ron nudged him, Harry grinned back at him.

"You're welcome. I didn't want to miss it anyway."

He was glad he was sitting between his best friends. If they would have put him next to Ginny, he would have felt really uncomfortable. He shot a glance at her. She was dressed in a cream-coloured gown and Harry couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful in it. With a shake of his head, he banned those thoughts from his mind. No, he had other things to worry about than girls.

Ron grinned. "Wouldn't have been the same without you."

Ron saw him look at Ginny and sighed. Things were still not all that well between them, especially after their letters to each other. He just hoped they wouldn't start snapping at each other today.

Suddenly Bill got up from his seat and held his hand out to Fleur, smiling wickedly as she took it. He pulled her out on the cleared part of the backyard, reserved for dancing and put his hand on her waist. It was time for the first dance. Slowly he began to move in tact with the music and twirled his bride around a couple of times. Fleur smiled at him, allowing herself to be twirled.

"If you ztep on my toez, Mr. Weazley, you shall be verrry lonely on your honeymoon night." She smirked.

"Why Mrs. Weasley." He mock gasped and kissed her lightly on the lips. "That the mere thought should cross my mind is breaking my heart."

Fleur rolled her eyes, but kissed him back anyway.

"I'm certain of that, and not just your 'eart." She playfully glanced down between both of their bodies, before cocking an elegant eyebrow. "Make zure it doesn't. I 'ave plans for you and your... friend."

Bill threw his head back and laughed heartily. "You, my dear, are a deviously wicked woman."

Then he looked around. Sighing softly at the sight of everyone still sitting down, he stopped dancing and released Fleur's waist, throwing out his arm toward the guests, he said in a raspy voice : "Oi! Start dancing everyone… this isn't a show!" Bill grinned. "We're not going to keep doing this alone, where's the fun in that?"

Harry watched as some guests were actually getting up and leading, or dragging in some cases, their partner onto the 'dance floor'. He almost didn't even dare to look in Ginny's direction, almost afraid that she would expect him to dance with her. He noticed Charlie casually walking by, flashing him a grin, before extending his hand to Ginny.

"Can this brother have a dance with his favourite sister?" He grinned.

At that moment, Harry couldn't be more relieved. He took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. Ginny looked at the hand stretched out to her, while it wasn't exactly the hand she wanted to grasp, she took it anyway.

"I'm your only sister, dimwit." She smiled and let herself be pulled up from her seat. "But that won't stop me from agreeing to dance with you."

Charlie shrugged. "Details, darling, details." With a grin, he twirled her around. "So what was with the sour face earlier? I know you don't like Fleur, but..." He quirked an eyebrow.

She frowned. "It was nothing really. Just thinking about some things." Ginny said and with a small smirk she stepped up onto his feet, like she had done when she had been younger and Charlie had tried to teach her how to dance. "Like old times?"

Charlie gave her an 'I-don't-believe-you'-look, but let it go anyway. This was not really the day to argue. He laughed when she stepped on his feet, before nodding. "Yeah, sure. Like old times."

Ginny smiled and settled against Charlie's body, her head resting sideways on his chest, which gave her a perfect view of where Harry was sitting with her brother and Hermione. They seemed deep in thought and weren't talking with each other like they usually were whenever they were at the same place.

Ron stared at his plate, his hands were clenched into fists on his knees and were shaking slightly. He shot small glances at Hermione, only to quickly look down at his plate again. He really wanted to ask if she wanted to dance… but what if she said no?

Harry watched Ron fidget and rolled his eyes, nudging his side. "Ask her, you idiot," he mumbled, "Go on."

His head shot up and Ron stared at Harry. "Harry." He whined softly. "What if she says no?" Looking nervously at Hermione, who was staring at the dancing couples, he sighed.

Harry looked at the ceiling and growled in frustration. "She won't, Ron." He hissed, "Listen to me, mate. If you don't ask her, then I just will."

Ron gulped and looked at Hermione again, slowly he stood up and walked around Harry to stand in front of her. He extended his hand to her and with a nervous smile he asked : "Would… you like to dance, H-Hermione?"

Hermione looked at the hand extended towards her, blinking, before looking up.

'_YES! BLOODY HELL YES!_' Her mind screamed, but she simply smiled, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Yes, Ron, I'd love to dance with you." She slipped her hand in his, before getting up.

She glanced at Harry. "Aren't you going to dance, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I think I'll pass on this one. Maybe later."

Hermione nodded and allowed Ron to pull her along. He broke out into a brilliant smile and began pulling her gently toward the dance floor, then his mind froze. He was going to have to put his hand on her waist… How could he do that without blushing even more than he already was? With trembling fingers he settled his hand on her waist, just above her hip and began moving around to the music. Hermione suppressed a giggle, placing her free hand on his shoulder, letting the music guide their movements.

"About time you asked me to dance, Ron. I thought you never would."

'_Well, that would be it for me._' Ron thought with a whimper. He was a goner and his face heated up to show just that.

"I… um… I… you look lovely!" He burst out in panic, not knowing what else to say.

'_Brilliant, Ronald._' She thought with a giggle.

"Thank you," she smiled, "You don't look half bad yourself."

Slowly he began to relax, though he was still hyperaware of her touch on his shoulder. What was wrong with him? This was Hermione, the girl he'd know since he had been eleven years old, the girl he'd bickered with for year, the girl… he was in love with. Ron felt like hiding in his room for the rest of the day at that revelation, just to think it over and not embarrass himself in front of her.

He gave her a shaky smile. "Thank you, Hermione."

Hermione shifted a bit closer to him, enjoying the contact between their bodies. When the music changed, she was disappointed that this dance was already over. Ron blinked as she moved closer to him and he hesitantly wrapped his arms further around her. When the song ended, he didn't want to let go and keep swaying to the new beat, refusing to let the moment end or release her, now that he finally had her.

He took the chance and whispered boldly into her ear. "Another dance, Hermione?"

Hermione quirked an eyebrow, before a grin spread on her lips. "Most certainly."

Standing off to the side in her pale pink dress, Gabrielle watched the party with a smile. She wanted to dance to and she knew just who it was going to be. She hadn't spoke all that much with him, but she still owed him for saving her life all those years ago and she wanted to thank him.

She walked determinedly toward her intended dance partner and looked at him. "'Allo, 'Arry, would you care to danze wiz me?"

Harry turned around on his chair, watching the girl with a frown. Who was...? Then it hit him. Fleur's little sister. She had grown a bit since he had last seen her and he could already tell she was going to grow up to be beautiful just like her sister. He swallowed.

"Gabrielle! Didn't recognise you there." He gave an uncomfortable smile, "I'm sorry, but I'm not much of a dancer really..."

"Nonzense, 'Arry." She smiled and took his hand. "Nozzing, a good teacher cannot 'elp wiz." Gabrielle pulled him up from his seat and he towered over her, making her crane her neck to look at him. "Juz one danze, 'Arry."

"Alright then, Gabrielle," he sighed, "One dance."

He let the girl pull her to where the others were dancing. Harry was well aware of the fact that Hermione was giggling and that Ron was trying not to burst with laughter. He twirled the little Delacour girl around a few times, using the opportunity to stand still and not do anything clumsy. '_Very safe. God knows I'd step on her toes or something._'

A small growl escaped her lips as she saw the Mini-Phlegm pull Harry onto the dance floor. Ginny glared at Gabrielle's back, while Harry was standing still and twirling the smaller girl around. What was it with the Delacour women and moving in on the men she knew? Her hands clenched into fists and her arms were held tightly against her sides.   
Hermione grinned at Harry dancing with Fleur's little sister, but noticed Ginny from the corner of her eye. She tapped Ron on the shoulder and leaned in a little.

"Don't look, but check out Ginny when we turn." She whispered.

Ron nodded slowly and twirled them both around, giving him the opportunity to look at his little sister. Then he wished he hadn't. Ginny was fuming, silently. That was not a good sign at all, not when Ginny took after their mother in so many ways. Molly Weasley might yell at her children over almost anything, but if she was silent… then that would just be the quiet before the storm hit with the force of a hurricane.

"This is not good." He muttered.

Harry couldn't be too happy when the song ended. He smiled at Gabrielle and gave a little bow.

"Thank you, Miss Delacour," he grinned, "It was a lovely dance."

Gabrielle smiled at Harry and curtseyed. "Non, zank you, 'Arry. For ze danze and for zaving my life in ze lake."

She moved in and hugged him tightly, before skipping off to her parents.

"Uhm right," Harry mumbled, watching her skip off, before returning to his seat.

Fleur pinched Bill's shoulder with a frown when the song ended, before making an almost invisible gesture at Ginny. "Your zister zeems to be upset about zomethin'."

Bill winced as his wife pinched him on the shoulder, hard. But he looked at Ginny anyway and grimaced. "She doesn't look too happy, no. Maybe I should have a little chat with her."

Fleur nodded. He let go of her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and began moving toward Ginny.

"Zat zeems like a good idea. I'll go dance wiz one of your brothers for a while." She grinned, before walking over to the trio sitting back at the table. "'Ermione," she smiled, "You don't mind if I'd were to zteal your dance partner, would you?"

Hermione looked at Ron, before giving a light shrug. "No, not really. It's your wedding after all." She giggled.

Fleur took a hold of Ron's elbow. "Come on, Caznova, let's zee if you dance better zan my huzband. I'm zure you won't try to grope my arze."

Ron gulped and stammered. "But... I… Hermione," then nodded jerkily when he saw Hermione giggle and took Fleur's hand, keeping his eyes firmly on her chin, too nervous to look her in the eyes. Hermione watched Ron being dragged off. She was grinning, but her expression darkened when she turned back to Harry.

"You didn't see Ginny looking at you, did you?" she softly asked, "When you were dancing with Gabrielle?"

Harry frowned. "No... Should I have?"

"Harry, if eyes could kill, Gabrielle would have been killed a million times."

"Come on, Hermione. It's Gabrielle. She's what? Eleven years old? What harm could that do?" He rolled his eyes. "Besides, we broke up, remember?"

"Still, Harry." She sighed. "Ginny's had a crush on you for years, even if she stopped showing it. And now that she finally had you, it was already over again between the two of you."

"I already said that it just can't be with the war. I've got to..." He started to protest, but Hermione put her hand over his mouth.

"Don't tell me, Harry. Tell Ginny." She whispered.

Ginny was still standing off to the side when a hand landed on her shoulder, she whirled around and looked into smiling blue eyes.

"Hey, Bill." She said softly.

"Hey, yourself, Gin-Gin. Care to dance with your old decrepit brother?" He grinned and offered his arm, waiting for her to take it. She did and he pulled her out on the floor to a slow song.

"You're not old, Bill or decrepit. At the most you're getting a little on in your years." She smirked.

Bill laughed and spun her around. "So how are you doing? I saw you were watching the dance floor rather closely. Any specific reason?"

"No." Ginny answered shortly.

Arching an eyebrow, he sighed. This would probably not end well.

"Oh? And it didn't have anything to do with Harry dancing with Gabrielle, would it?" This time Ginny glared at him fiercely and he knew, he had hit a nerve. "Ginny, it's not like Harry has any feelings for Gabrielle, she's eleven years old."

"Oh, he'll dance with a kid, but he won't dance with me." She scowled.

"Then ask him to dance. It's not the Middle Ages, where you have to wait for a lad to ask you." Bill rolled his eyes and stopped dancing. "Go ask him." And with that he pushed her toward where Harry and Hermione were talking.

"Hey!" She protested as Bill pushed her forward. Grumbling slightly she stopped in front of Harry and took a deep breath. "Harry? Would you like to dance?"

"Uhm..." Harry shot a look at Hermione for help, but received a stern glare in return. "Sure."

He offered his arm and led her towards the dance floor, lightly putting his hand on her waist and taking one of her hands in his. Ginny followed his lead and allowed him to move them around, this was where she had wanted to be all day. As close to Harry as possible.

Harry couldn't bear to look at her. He was uncomfortable. He hated dancing, he was awful at it and now he was dancing with his former girlfriend. Harry would have honestly preferred to be locked up in his tiny cupboard at the Dursleys right now, at least he could hide in there.

"Ginny, I..." He started, but then fell silent again.

She looked up at him and tilted her head.

"What, Harry? Is it really so bad... dancing with me?" Ginny said softly when she noticed his discomfort.

"No," he sighed, "It's not the dancing. It's just... Ginny, we need to talk."

Frowning, she nodded. "Yeah, I thought you would say that."

"You don't think we should talk then?" He looked at her, starting to let go of her.

"I'm just sure that I won't like, what we're going to talk about." She sighed. "But we have to do it at some point… don't we?"

"Do you think I _like_ doing this?" He frowned, "Do you think I enjoy this?"

"Not any more than I do." Ginny looked him straight in the eyes, her hands still holding onto his shoulders. "Lets take this somewhere else. I don't want to ruin the mood for the others, if this is heading where I think it is. Please?"

"Yeah, seems like a good idea. Lead the way." He stared right back at her.

"Alright," she said and took his hand, leading him into the house and further into the living room.

Sitting down, she let go of his hand. Harry followed her, but didn't sit down immediately. He started to pace, running a hand through his hair with a sigh.

Ginny looked at him with an ever growing sense of unease. "So…" She paused, not really knowing what to say.

Harry stopped pacing and turned to look at her. "Why were you so angry with me for dancing with Gabrielle?" he blurted out. He blinked, not knowing where that had come from. '_Well, we have to start somewhere, don't we?_'

She reared back, staring at him, then frowned. "You were dancing with _her_, the Mini-Phlegm. You didn't even look once at me or thought about that I would have liked to have to first dance with you."

"How was I supposed to know?" Harry bit back, "We are not exactly on good terms right now and second, I can't read minds. How am I supposed to know what you think and want? You could've just asked me like you did just now."

"Well… ugh… men. You broke up with me because of a self-sacrificing, noble and stupid reason. But you didn't think I would just stop having a crush on you, did you? If so, then you're really dense. Jealousy, Harry. It's called jealousy," Ginny growled, tears running down her cheeks.

"Jealous of an eleven-year-old?" He shook his head, "Ginny, _please_. What are you trying to accomplish? Trying to make me feel guilty because I broke up with you? You make it sound like it's my fault that I have this stupid scar on my head? I didn't break up with you because I didn't want to be with you anymore..."

Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she looked at him. "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. And it definitely doesn't have something to do with your scar. You broke up with me because you're afraid that You-Know-Who will use me against you. Well, I just don't want accept that. I don't care! I just want to be with you."

Harry sighed and sat down next to her. "Ginny, we just can't. Voldemort has done it once and he'll do it again. I don't want that to happen. We were lucky last time to get out alive. I will not risk your life. Ron would never forgive me. _I_ would never forgive myself. I _do_ care, Ginny, but we just can't."

Her shoulders slumped. "But what if he didn't find out?" She whispered. "If we kept it a secret? People already know that we broke up. Couldn't we do that?"

"Still," he shook his head. "He could get in my mind should he want to. It's not safe."

She sighed. "I hate him. I wish he'd just disappear forever."

"Next time you see him, tell him." Harry muttered, leaning his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands.

Against the sombre mood, she couldn't help but giggle softly. "But there's no chance of us being together?" Ginny finally said after a while.

"Not right now." He whispered.

Nodding slowly, she looked at him. "But afterwards… maybe?"

Harry nodded, quietly. He didn't want to make any promises he might not be able to keep. '_If I even get out alive._' Smiling slightly, Ginny leaned in close and kissed his cheek.

"I… can live with that." She got up and started heading toward the backyard and the reception party. "We should get back, before anyone begins to miss us…"

"I'll be right there," he nodded, "I just need a few minutes by myself."

He looked at her, gesturing it was alright for her to go back outside. Nodding, Ginny walked out of the room and joined the others, just in time to see the twins being scolded by their mother for trying to sneak in some of their "special brand" fireworks. Harry watched her leave, heaving a sigh. He didn't want to think about the war, certainly not now, the talking with Ginny had brought the fear back to the surface.

"Not now." He mumbled to himself, "Not today."

He remained in the living room for another few minutes. After that, he finally got up and forced a small smile on his face, before going back outside to join the others again.

* * *

Screams filled the nocturnal air when the inhabitants of a small village in St. Helens ran around in panic. The Dark Mark sparkled a poisonous green against the ink black sky. Several houses were on fire, but none of the people even made an attempt to douse the flames. They were too frightened of the black-cloaked figures with their white masks. Flashes of red and green illuminated the dark alleys and bodies fell to the ground with soft thuds, horrified expressions immortalised on their faces forever. 

Neither women nor children were spared. Men were murdered without a second thought, women were raped while children watched and cried. Blood dripped onto the floor, even ran down the walls whenever some sick mind had nailed a favourite pet to the wall and left it there to die of exsanguinations.

* * *

_"Tie him to the table," a voice hissed, eager with pleasure._

_A boy, who could have been no older than nine or ten years old, kicked and screamed as two Death Eaters pushed him on his back onto the kitchen table, tying his hands and feet to the table's legs. The boy tried everything he could to get loose. He tried to bite, to yell, to kick, to spit... But all in vain, as he was safely secured to the wooden tabletop. _

_"He's a tough one, this one." The same voice cackled again, "Let's see how long he keeps this up if we kill his family before his very eyes." There was a pause. "Bring in his father!" A mumble came. "If we've already killed him, then bring in his mother and sister, you _fool_!"_

_A small, fragile-looking woman in her early thirties was brought in while tears streamed down her face. There was a bruise on her left cheek, the skin starting to colour black. Her hands had been tied behind her back and she was being shoved forward a few metres at the time, as she kept trying to look over her shoulder at her daughter who was being brought in behind her. With a kick of a dragon-leather boot, the woman was on her hands and knees, one hand straying to her hip, where she had been hit._

_"Mum!" The boy yelled._

_There was a sharp slap, the sound of skin against skin, and everything went quiet for a moment as if everyone held their breath. The boy bit back the tears that threatened to leak from his eyes, before turning his head to look at his younger sister. She sniffled and clutched a rag doll tightly to her chest. Whether they had tied her hands or not, would not have made much of a difference as she was barely five years old and no danger to escape at all._

_"Eleanor," the boy whispered, nodding slowly, "It's going to be alright."_

_The little girl nodded and sniffed, clutching her doll even harder. _

_"How _touching_," Voldemort sneered, "but unfortunately, you are mistaken." He made a gesture at the mother. "Rape her and make sure she screams. My dear Bella, make him _watch_."_

_There was screaming again as the woman was pulled to her feet and slammed into the wall. The clothes were literally torn off her body while her hands were held tightly over her head. The man in the cloak was tall and stockily built. There was a rustling sound of robes being arranged, before the woman's mouth opened in a silent scream and her eyes were crunched shut._

_Two pale, slender hands cupped the boy's face, but he managed to get at least one good bite into one of the fingers. There was a slight hiss before he was backhanded across the face, before the hands fell back into place on his cheeks, nails digging into the skin as his head was held into place so the boy had no other choice than to watch his mother being raped by a grunting Death Eater._

_Suddenly, there was a long strange hissing sound. The boy's eyes widened at as he noticed, from the corner of his eye, a snake sliding it's way over to where another cloaked figure was holding his little sister. The girl had already noticed it herself and had began to sob softly again._

_"Don't worry, love," a low voice cooed at the girl, "In two minutes it's all over."_

_The serpent pricked its tongue at the skin, taking in the scent, before sinking its poisonous fangs into the vein. The girl whimpered as it only felt as a small sting, but as soon as the poison hit her bloodstream, she began to shiver, pearly drops of sweat forming on her forehead. _

_"She's as good as dead, boy." Voldemort cackled, "There is nothing to be done against the poison. In two minutes, she'll be nothing but a convulsing little corpse. But you won't be around to see that anymore."_

_The boy wrung his head out of Bellatrix' grip, forcing himself to take a look at the _monster_ that was killing his family for his own sick pleasure. His eyes gleamed with deep hatred, tears of sorrow burning behind the irises. The metallic flash of a blade was the last thing he saw before everything went black._

Harry woke up with a start and a hoarse shout. He was breathing rapidly and the sweat was running down his temples and spine. He blindly reached for his glasses on the bedside table, slipping them on. It took him several minutes to realise that McGonagall was sitting next to him on the edge of his bed, one of her hands resting on his shoulder. Harry stared at her, blinking, but still not able to speak.

"It is time." She whispered.

He numbly nodded, before starting to get out of bed to get ready to leave the Dursley's house for once and for all.


	3. 02 De Cochleis et Leonibus

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Cochleis et Leonibus  
Authors : DracoCrescendo & Nuin  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Word count : this chapter : 6384 - total wordcount : 16.096  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayel & Flosspyromaniac  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Cochleis et Leonibus _Of Slugs and Lions**_  
_**

**_Chapter 2 - De Cochleis et Leonibus_  
**  
Pansy stared out of the window, watching the landscape fly by as the train slowly got closer to its destination. With a sigh, she rested her elbow on the window sill and her chin in the palm of her hand. Draco wouldn't be coming back this year. She hadn't wanted to believe it, but it was true. After his spectacular failure to finish his mission, he probably wouldn't be returning. It was too dangerous for him.

She closed her eyes and drew back from the window, leaning back against the seat. Maybe some sleep would help calming her. It surely would pass the time until the train arrived at Hogsmeade.

"Hey Pansy! Are you asleep?"

Pansy opened her eyes and glared at Millicent, who was sitting across from her in the compartment. She hadn't spared either Millicent or Blaise a thought since she had boarded the train that morning, not even when she had entered the same compartment as them.

"No… I'm playing the flute." She sneered. "I was trying to sleep until you interrupted me."

Millicent rolled her eyes. "Irritable." She muttered at Blaise.

"I am not irritable, I just want to sleep. Then this ride will be over faster." Pansy sighed and crossed her arms.

It wasn't like she had much to look forward to this school year. There would still be the same boring teachers with the obvious replacement of the DADA teacher since Professor Snape had fled the castle. Who would the Headmistress bring in to teach this year? Some incompetent fool maybe? There couldn't be that many wanting that particular job. Then there was the rumours that they would need a new Potions Master instead of Slughorn, though that would only be an improvement. The fat, old man hadn't wanted Draco to enter his Slugclub, so he could not be that intelligent. Also he had been more focused on particular students that could put him in a good light than what he could teach his students.

Draco…

Sighing again, Pansy's thoughts were back on the Malfoy heir. Draco hadn't even responded to her letters. She had written to him several times over the summer, but had yet to get any replies. Why wouldn't he answer her? Didn't he care? Maybe it wasn't safe for him to send any owls from wherever he was. But then, wouldn't he be with his mother at the Manor? Or was he with the Dark Lord? Everything was so frustrating and she didn't know anything about what was going on. Even her parents wouldn't tell her anything.

But where was Draco? The only thing she knew was that he had run away from Hogwarts along with Snape, but did it mean that Draco was still with him?

"Pansy? Are you alright?" Blaise asked arching an eyebrow, looking at Pansy's glazed-over eyes with curiosity.

She blinked a couple of times and stared at the tall, black Slytherin. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."

"Have you heard anything from Draco, Vince or Greg? They didn't board the train." Millicent said, while looking out of the window. "Do you think they've, you know, joined _him_?" She whispered.

"Shh!" Pansy hissed and hastily looked around for anyone who might have been listening in on them. "Don't talk about that and definitely not in public."

Millicent nodded silently, a small red blush on her cheeks.

"Now will you two please be quiet? I still want to get some sleep, before we get there." Pansy said as she settled back into a comfortable position on the seat. Closing her eyes, her last thoughts were back on Draco.

She didn't wake up until Millicent shook her shoulder gently, telling her that they would be at the station in a few minutes and that she should probably change into her uniform. Though the train arrived at the Hogsmeade station, Pansy had the feeling that something would definitely be happening this year, but couldn't decide whether to look forward to it or not.

* * *

Harry barely had time to settle in at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place as he, Ron and Hermione had agreed to start on things as soon as possible. Harry had managed to make the house a little more liveable, having cleaned it up while sorting out some of the stuff lying around. School had already started when they had arranged to meet in front of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. They planned to visit Hogwarts and search for any clues to find Slughorn. Slughorn had been the one to tell Riddle about creating Horcruxes while he had been studying at Hogwarts. Maybe if they could find out anything about Slughorn's whereabouts, or maybe in one of his books, that would be able to help them on their way. 

Harry was a bit nervous when he left the house, casually looking around before slipping into one of the small alleys to Apparate to Hogsmeade. He had only obtained his license a few days ago, and even though he had passed without a problem, he still hoped he wouldn't lose an ear or something in the process. Heaving a deep sigh, he closed his eyes and Apparated himself to Hogsmeade. He popped up only a few metres from Zonko's Joke Shop and started walking down the road. He passed Honeydukes and the post office, but it barely registered in his mind. After a few minutes, he could see the Three Broomsticks right ahead of him. He noticed two figures standing in front of it.

Hermione was the first one to spot Harry walking towards them. She waved.

When Harry joined the two of them, she smiled, before hugging him briefly. "Made it here alright, I see."

"Yeah," Harry nodded, "Apparated here."

"That's the good thing about having a license, Harry." Hermione grinned.

He simply grinned back at her. Ron grinned and clapped his hand onto Harry's shoulder in greeting.

"And how is Apparating for the young man?" He looked at Harry and noticed how much he had grown over the couple of months. Soon, the dark haired teen would be able to compete with Hermione in height.

Harry rolled his eyes, but laughed anyway. "Fairing just fine, Ron."

"So are we going to stand here all day?" Hermione sniffed, "We've got work to do, remember?"

Ron slung an arm around Hermione's shoulder, feeling daring for once around her and put on a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, Hermione."

Hermione didn't move away from his arm around her shoulder. All she did was give him a mild glare, before looking at Harry. The latter simply nodded and started walking. It was still a long way across the Hogwarts grounds. They passed the lake and as they did, Harry glanced at the other side, catching a white glimpse of Dumbledore's grave. He quickly averted his eyes and slightly quickened his pace, swallowing the lump in his throat. Hermione noticed Harry's look. She remained silent. There was nothing to say for the time being and an uncomfortable feeling crept into her chest as she noticed the castle further away.

Ron trudged alongside the other two, pretending to look at the scenery or the road, but occasionally he would glance at Hermione with a small smile on his lips. The smile died however, when he caught sight of the tomb and understood why Harry was now walking faster. He himself upped his pace and soon they were at the castle's front gate. The castle looked the same as always, but Harry could feel there was something different about it nonetheless. With a small sigh, he pushed the gate open, entering the place that had been his true home for years. Inside, he immediately felt the difference rather than saw it. It was colder and more grim than he remembered. He involuntarily shivered.

Following Harry, Ron walked down the empty hallways, they had arrived in the middle of class and had yet to stumble upon any students or teachers.

"Where are we going to look first?" He asked, scratching slightly at his temple.

"I suggest we check out what used to be his private chambers first," Hermione offered, "McGonagall told me in the owl that they're unused now. So we shouldn't get in any trouble snooping around."

Harry nodded. "Sounds like a plan. What floor are they on?"

"Second. Right across from the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom." Hermione replied.

Harry nodded again and took the staircase up to the second floor, the others in tow. Ron nodded and without further thought grabbed Hermione's hand, dragging her after him and Harry. They walked up the moving stairs with a few misses along the way on the teasing staircases until they reached the second floor. Ron looked around as he continued down the second floor hallway looking for the classroom and subsequently the private chambers of former Professor Slughorn.

The DADA classroom wasn't too hard to find as Harry could hear the voice of one of the teachers explaining about the Unforgivables. He glanced at the opposite side of the hall. There was a door and Harry tried to doorknob. It was unlocked, so Harry pushed it open and entered. Hermione frowned.

"Don't you think it's strange that the door is unlocked, Harry?"

Harry looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "Maybe McGonagall opened it for us so we didn't have to bother her for the key."

"Could be," Hermione pursed her lips, "Or someone forced himself or herself in to look around."

Ron gulped at the last words. "What if someone did that and is still in there?"

He peered over Harry's shoulder as the door was opened to reveal the still furnished chambers, but otherwise empty. There certainly weren't any people inside and Ron breathed in relief. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron." She sniffed, "If they did, they would have been long gone. They had enough time to poke around before we came. Besides, what are you? A wizard or a bloody chicken?"

"She's right, Ron." Harry nodded his consent, moving further into the room. "They would have had enough time. Come on. Let's look around. Look for _anything_ that might have to do with dark magic or Horcruxes. _Anything_ at all."

Ron nodded and grumbled. "A wizard. I'm a wizard, Hermione."

Walking further into the room he looked around, there were still books on the shelves along the walls and he figured it would be as good a place as any to start looking.

"Do you think there might be any clues in the books?" Ron asked and began pulling volume by volume out to flip through them.

"I think if we should find any clues, it would probably be in some kind of book, Ronald." Hermione pursed her lips, "After all, Riddle must have gotten his information from somewhere else than just Slughorn, too."

"We don't know that, Hermione." Harry slid his fingers over the spines of the books, frowning at some of the titles. "All we know is that Slughorn told Riddle about Horcruxes and how to create them. It's most likely he did research, but we can't be too sure."

"So what do we do if we don't find what we're looking for?" She sighed, turning around to look at him.

"Then we go to his house." Harry calmly said. "There might be more stuff to check out."

"Do you know where exactly that is?"

"We can always ask. I'm sure McGonagall or someone from the Order must know." '_Or at least I hope so._' He thought to himself.

Ron stood silent as the other two discussed Slughorn and idly flipped through the book, grimacing at some of the things mentioned in it. '_Eww. I didn't need to know that or that. Knew there was a reason I didn't like Potions… other than Snape._' Closing the book, he placed it on the shelf and turned to his friends.

"So we go ask McGonagall? I mean, she's sure to have records of the teachers, past and present, right?"

"I hope so." Harry voiced his previous thoughts as he thumbed through another book. "When I went to find him with Dumbledore, we found him somewhere else. Not at his own house. I just hope McGonagall knows his usual whereabouts."

"I have an idea." Hermione spoke up. "Why don't I go see McGonagall about the address while you two continue to search for clues?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, good idea, Hermione."

Hermione put down the book she had been looking at, before leaving the room and heading towards McGonagall's office.

A pair of dark eyes watched Hermione as she came out of Slughorn's private chambers. A dark haired woman kept an eye on her from behind the corner, smirking. She knew those youngsters wouldn't find anything there. She had been in there days ago, turning the entire room upside down, before putting everything back in its respective place. She had come up with nothing. But now _they_ were here. Harry Potter and his little friends. She knew what to do now. Turning on her heel, she stalked down the hallway in the other direction. She had to inform her Master immediately.

* * *

Ron slowly walked up the path to the small house that was the last known address of Horace Slughorn. The front yard was covered in weeds and the house itself looked rather abandoned. Sighing, he looked back at Harry and Hermione and swallowed nervously, not knowing what was waiting for them behind the slightly open door. Something felt wrong. Harry frowned at the sight of the door. Automatically, he drew his wand and nodded to his friends to do the same. Slowly, he pushed the door open further, peeking inside. 

"The hall seems to be clear." He mumbled.

Hermione followed Harry inside and looked around the hall, her wand still firmly clenched in her hand.

"Something is giving me the chills."

"I feel it, too." Harry nodded, before looking at Ron. "We'll split up. I'll take a look upstairs. What about you two?"

"We'll take downstairs." Ron nodded and pulled out his own wand.

Ron began walking down the hall towards what seemed to be the kitchen. His eyebrows shot to his hairline in surprise. Everything was upended, drawers had been pulled out, utensils and pieces of several plates were scattered around on the floor. The small table was upside down with its legs broken off.

"What happened here?"

Hermione was right behind him, looking sadly around the room. She shook her head slowly. "There seems to have been a fight. Or someone just came to look for something specific, but it doesn't seem like they found it... I'm not sure."

She left the kitchen and made her way into the living room. There, she found the same chaos as in the kitchen. Books were strewn across the room, pages had been ripped out, furniture had been turned upside-down. She kneeled down to the floor and picked up one of the books.

"Maybe there's something in these..." She muttered to herself.

Ron followed Hermione into the living room and looked around with a sigh. If the books had pages torn out, it could have been the pages with the information they needed. Which would leave them at square one again.

"I'll go see how Harry's doing." He said and walked toward the stairs. When he got to the top step he called out. "Harry?"

Harry jerked his head up from digging through one of the cabinets.

"Yeah?" He called back. "What is it, Ron?"

"Have you found anything?" Ron asked as he walked down the hallway, looking into the rooms in his search for Harry.

"I'm in here, Ron." Harry rolled his eyes when he noticed his friend walk by. "I'm going through a bundle of old Daily Prophet articles, but as for the rest, there is nothing in here that could help us. The bedroom is a mess. It seems to me that Slughorn left in a hurry. What about you and Hermione?"

Ron grinned sheepishly and backtracked to the room, he had just walked by. "Nothing, the entire house is a right mess, but we found some leftovers of books that were burnt in the fireplace. So if someone had been searching something, they probably found it."

"And destroyed it." Harry added with a sigh.

He looked down at the article in his hands. It was about the death of Hepzibah Smith, but it didn't really reveal any important clues either.

"I think this house is a dead place for our search."

"Yeah." Ron nodded. "We won't find anything more than what we already have. " He grumbled and kicked at a heap of clothes lying on the floor.

"Come on. Let's go back downstairs. Maybe Hermione found something." Harry shrugged.

He left the room and descended the stairs again. "Hermione? You found something useful?"

"Unfortunately," Hermione's annoyed voice answered, "I found some leftover pieces from book covers in the fireplace. What I can still make out of them, is that they could have been interesting. But they can't be saved. I can't even read the entire titles anymore. I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry growled. "Just great."

"Brilliant." Ron grunted as he came down the stairs. "What now? This is a dead end."

Running a hand through his hair he sat down in one of the chairs that were still standing upright. Hermione got up and heaved a sigh.

"I don't know. Honestly. Harry, did you find anything?"

"Just some Daily Prophet articles dealing with Hepzibah Smith's death and Borgin & Burkes, but nothing we didn't already know. So Ron's right. Dead end." Harry muttered. "Let's go home. There's nothing left to see here."

Ron nodded. "Nothing at all. But what do we do now? We're practically back where we started."

"We are back where we started." Harry snarled, throwing his arms in the air, "We never got any further, Ron! What a great remark was that!"

Hermione took a step back in surprise, but wisely kept her mouth shut. She understood Harry's frustration as it was much like her own.

"There's an Order meeting tonight, right?" She quietly asked.

"Yes, Hermione, there is." Harry snapped, "So brilliant of you to remind me."

"Harry, stop it." Ron said as calmly he could manage, even though he was feeling as frustrated as his best friend. "Snapping at us doesn't help. Just calm down. We'll figure something out, we always do."

Harry shrugged and muttered something under his breath. He stalked back towards the front door and yanked it open. Hermione sighed and followed him.

"I assume you're going back to Grimmauld Place?"

"Yeah." He curtly said. "See you tonight at the Order meeting."

After that, he Disapparated back to London. Ron grimaced when the door slammed shut after Harry's exit. Sighing, he looked at Hermione.

"That went well." Slowly he got from the chair and began walking to the door himself. "Do you want to come back to the Burrow with me? I'm sure Mum has lunch ready and is waiting for someone to eat it."

"Yeah, that sounds good." Hermione nodded with a smile. "I _am_ kinda hungry."

* * *

"Well, well, well," A raspy voice sneered at the sight of Horace Slughorn being backed against the wall of some dark and dirty alley, "Look what we have here." 

Sweat dripped down Slughorn's forehead as he frantically sought for a way out. Two dark-hooded figures crept a bit closer and the old man could see a wand gripped tightly in one of the hands from the smaller figure. His eyes flicked to the larger person, his brow furrowing. The black robes he was wearing were uncomfortably tight and the large hands protruding from the sleeves had long yellowish nails.

Slughorn already thought he looked familiar. "You..." He gasped.

"Of course, it's _me_." Fenrir nearly barked as he laughed, removing his hood with a feral grin, "Who did you expect? The Easter bunny?"

Slughorn ignored the apparent joke and looked at the other Death Eater.

"And who are you?" He frowned.

Horace Slughorn had to admit he was rather surprised when the figure turned out to be a woman who could have been no older than twenty-four. She didn't even have the rough and cold Death Eater look like he remembered from Bellatrix. If he would have passed her in the streets, he would never have suspected her to be a follower of Voldemort. Outward appearance can be very misleading.

"My name is of no importance." She sniffed, "Since you won't live long enough to tell."

Slughorn visibly paled and the woman smirked widely. "What did you think? We were going to keep you alive? The Dark Lord has no use for you. Right now, you are just in the way."

She pointed her wand at him and mumbled a spell, slashing him across the arm and shoulder. With a gasp, Slughorn grabbed for the wounded flesh, sinking to his knees.

"Please, don't hurt me." He begged. "I could be of use to your Master. Just don't kill me..."

Fenrir leaped on top of the small man and drew his nails across the man's chest, tearing up the clothing and cutting deeply into the skin.

"Greyback, come on! Leave some fun for me!" The woman huffed.

Fenrir turned his head around to glare at her. "You just stay there, Carrow." He rasped, "He's _mine_."

Carrow took a step back, wanting to show that bloody werewolf who was boss, but at the sight of him biting down Slughorn's shoulder, she decided it might be best to remain quiet. Slughorn screamed out in pain as he felt his collar bone being broken by Fenrir's jaw closing on it. He paused for a short moment, flicking his yellow gaze back to Slughorn's face.

"Scream all you want, Slughorn," he hissed, "This neighbourhood doesn't really care enough to investigate any strange screams."

After that, he bit down on the man's collar bone again.

"Just finish him off, Greyback." Carrow rolled her eyes. "We have to report back to the Dark Lord."

"Yeah, yeah," The werewolf growled, tearing away from the shoulder to take a last look at the old man's face. "Good night and farewell, Horace Slughorn."

Slughorn's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to scream again, but no sound came out when Greyback ripped at the flesh on his throat. When Carrow and Greyback casually walked away a few moments later, all there was left was a bleeding and twitching body that stared into nothingness as the last life forces slowly ebbed away from it.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall paced in front of kitchen table at Grimmauld Place, her arms were crossed over her chest and she sighed. This would be the first Order meeting since… well, since everything changed. But they needed to get things organized for the coming year. They needed to make sure the children would be safe. 

When she heard familiar voices and the annoying screech of Mrs. Black coming from the hallway, she smiled and sat down behind the table, waiting for them to come in. Remus and Tonks were the first to enter, closely followed by Kingsley. All three nodded in greeting and sat down in the chairs surrounding the large table.

"Minerva," Arthur Weasley's voice greeted from the door, where he was standing with his family in entourage, while Hermione was standing at the back of the group with her hand in Ron's. Soon they all shuffled in and took their seats. A short while after Harry came in with the last of the Order members as he had been the one to let them in.

McGonagall looked at all of them, a nervous smile on her lips. "Please, everyone sit down and help yourselves to some tea and sandwiches. We will begin shortly."

She watched as everyone helped themselves and those beside them, while she sipped from her own cup of Earl Grey tea. Once the others had settled back onto their chairs, they turned to look at McGonagall with anticipation. Slowly she put down her cup and took a deep breath.

"This is the first meeting of the Order of The Phoenix since… Albus' passing. We need to set some things straight. As of September 1st, I have officially taken over the position as Headmistress of Hogwarts. We don't know whether Voldemort -" she paused, when several people flinched. "-has any further plans for attacking Hogwarts. The Ministry is taking precautions and wants me to allow Aurors, among others, to patrol the halls. Therefore I want to know if any of you would be willing to take that job?"

General murmurs of consent buzzed around the kitchen and several hands were raised to offer their service.

"What about me?" Remus asked. "Would I be allowed back in to Hogwarts? Would it even be safe for the children?"

McGonagall looked at him with concern then considered the options. "Perhaps if you would only patrol between the full moons, then left for the two weeks around your transformation. Then it could be done to the satisfaction of the Ministry representatives."

Remus nodded and leaned against the back of his chair, crossing a leg over the other and nursed the cup of tea cradled in his hands.

"Furthermore we cannot be too careful, when we're out in the open. It means that if you need to go somewhere, do not go alone," McGonagall said seriously. "I mean it. I don't want to lose any more of you."

Slowly she stirred her tea and brought the cup up to her lips sipping occasionally. She then placed her cup down on the table again and breathed in. She didn't want to think about losing any of the people she thought of as her extended family and especially not any of the children. Losing Albus had been difficult enough, but Severus' betrayal had come as a shock. She knew that the Order would be in an uproar once they learned of that particular fact. However she needed to tell them and they needed to know the truth.

"There is something that needs to be told. Something that has taken most of those, who know already, by surprise," she began softly. "Albus was murdered by one of our own. Severus betrayed us and Albus Dumbledore died by his hand."

Her prediction had been correct as several of the Order members jumped up from their chairs yelling in outrage, a few began cursing the name of former Hogwarts professor, while others were sitting on their chairs, a stunned expression on their faces.

"Calm down everyone!" McGonagall raised her voice and called for order. "We cannot do anything about that now. Severus has betrayed us all, but you needed to know. Now will you please sit down?"

Slowly the people, who had jumped up from their chairs, sat back down and McGonagall breathed out in relief. She did not want any of them to start searching for Severus in an attempt to get revenge for Albus' death. She knew how dangerous the dour man could be, when pressed into a corner and that could only cause more losses on their side. Again her thoughts turned to the children.

McGonagall looked at the youngest members of their group. The Weasley children were all sitting together. All of them were present except young Percy. She sighed wondering if the boy would ever reconcile with his family.

The twins were sitting calmly and were rather quiet for once, a rare oddity concerning the two boys. But perhaps it was the stern and watchful eye of their mother that kept them in line for once and for that McGonagall was thankful. While Bill and Charlie were adults in their own right and one of them was even married now, she was sure they would still be treated as children by Molly. Finally she looked at the three youngest people sitting at the end of the table and talking quietly amongst themselves.

She was still saddened by the knowledge that neither Harry, Ron or Hermione had chosen to return to Hogwarts this term, unlike the only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley. But they had made their choice to do what they could in this horrid war. She could only wish them luck and give them her support, even if she hated the fact that children had to fight in any war.

McGonagall looked at Harry and heaved a sigh. So much weight had been put upon his shoulders and he was not even out of his teens yet.

"Professor?" Tonks asked as she placed a hand on McGonagall's shoulder. "Are you alright? You were looking a bit dazed for a moment."

McGonagall smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm fine, Nymphadora."

She ignored the grimace on Tonks' face as she said the other woman's name and focused instead on the other people present in the room. Placing her hands on the surface of the table she rose from her chair and asked for silence.

"If any of you have nothing more to add, I would like for Kingsley, Tonks and Remus to stay behind, so that we may discuss the arrangements for the patrolling of the school."

When no one said anything, she called the meeting to an end and sat back down in her chair. While she waited for the room to be emptied out, she helped herself to another sandwich and hot cup of tea.

When everyone had left the room, besides the three McGonagall had asked to stay behind, she beckoned them over to discuss further arrangements for their new assignment. They tossed a few ideas about how to do certain things, but didn't come to any conclusions other than what they already had agreed upon. While Tonks and Kingsley would take alternating shifts throughout each month, Remus was not to patrol the halls of Hogwarts during the two weeks surrounding the full moon. But other than that, they had no idea what he could do to help out, when he was not allowed on the school grounds.

Soon enough Tonks and Kingsley decided to go home, while Remus had opted to stay behind to figure possible solutions for his spare time out with McGonagall.

"I'm not really sure what I would do in the mean time, Minerva," Remus sighed. "You know as well as I do that I'm quite useless around the time of the full moon."

He fell silent for a few moments, his look straying around the room. He noticed Harry talking to Ron and Hermione amongst themselves in the other room.

"How's Harry doing these days?"

"Relieved to be out of his relatives' house." McGonagall sighed. "But he doesn't talk much about how he is. He is much more focused on what lies ahead." She looked at the three teenagers sadly. "This is all too much for them. They need help. More than what I can give them right now."

"It's too much for all of us," he nodded, "But they're barely seventeen. They shouldn't be fighting a war they aren't ready for."

She looked into Remus' eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "No one should be fighting a war, Remus. But sometimes we can't choose what we want. They may not be ready, they might never be ready. Though this is what we must do. If we want to win, we must do what is necessary."

"Of course. I just don't believe that seventeen-year-olds have the skills, nor the knowledge to survive an actual war." He looked back at the trio. "Although, the three of them might be slightly different. Harry's lucky to have Ron and Hermione by his side. But I'm not sure luck will be enough for this round."

Suddenly a light lit up in her eyes and an idea began to form in her mind. "Luck has kept them from harm until now… But they lack skills and knowledge… Remus, I think I might have an idea as to what you can do during your spare time." A small smile parted McGonagall's lips and white teeth glinted in the light of the candles.

Remus quirked an eyebrow and shifted in his seat. "Minerva, I'm not sure I like that look on your face. But do tell. What do you have in mind?"

"Think about it, Remus. The children need skills and knowledge to support them. Since you have free time on your hand, you would be able to teach them everything you know." McGonagall said. "You were a part of the Order during the last war as well, which means you can tell them what to expect. With your knowledge they would have a better fighting chance in this horrid war."

Remus considered it for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it. I can't see why I shouldn't." He looked at the trio again. "I'm sure Hermione will nag the boys to stay on track of what I teach them." He grinned slightly.

McGonagall smiled. "I'm sure she will and I'm sure that Harry would like to spend some time with you as well, Remus. Perhaps you could arrange to stay here during the two weeks every month?"

"I'm not sure whether that be a good idea, Minerva. Honestly, I think Harry needs some time for himself. I am aware of the fact that the Dursley's probably didn't even bother to ask anything, but Grimmauld Place is his now. I will not interfere his home. Besides, I'm not sure it's exactly safe to spend time here during the time near the full moon."

She nodded slowly. "Indeed. Those wretched people. If there had been any other choice, I would never have allowed him to be left with them. But you are right, it might not be the safest place for either of you during the full moon. Though we should perhaps talk this through with Harry and the others, before we make any final decisions regarding your new assignment?" McGonagall quirked an eyebrow and began walking toward the other room.

Harry noticed Lupin and McGonagall stepping into the sitting room. He stopped talking, which made Hermione turn around to find out what he was looking at. She nodded politely in a new greeting.

Ron turned around to look at what had made his friends silent and he blinked. He thought everyone else had left already and that they were alone, though apparently they weren't. "Professors?" He asked bewildered.

"Harry, Ronald, Hermione, may we have a word with the three of you?" McGonagall asked as she walked over to them.

Harry simply shrugged. "Sure. Can't see why not."

Hermione sat down on the sofa, curious to know what this was about. Ron sat down beside Hermione and turned curious eyes on the two professors.

McGonagall smiled at the three of them. "It is nothing to worry about, but Remus and I have been talking about what he could do during the two weeks he doesn't spend at Hogwarts. If the three of you will agree, he would like to continue your lessons in Defence Against the Dark Arts and any other subject that he might have some knowledge of to help you as much as possible."

"I think it's a marvellous idea, Professor." Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "We surely could use the knowledge and the practice."

Harry remained silent, letting Hermione do the talking for now. She was right. '_Isn't she always?_' He grinned to himself. What they learnt at Hogwarts certainly wasn't enough to lunge head-first into a war. Lupin was a capable teacher and Harry was actually getting excited by the prospects of being taught by him again.

Ron knew he should be grateful for their teachers' thoughtfulness, but he couldn't help groaning in his mind at the prospect of more studying. Outwardly though he smiled politely and nodded.

McGonagall looked at Hermione with a small smirk. "We thought so too, Hermione. And if you need anything else that Remus can't comply with, you can always owl me at Hogwarts."

"Thanks, Professor." Harry gave a small smile, before looking at Remus. "When do we start?"

"I think we should probably start somewhere next week. We don't have to limit training to the weeks I'm not at Hogwarts. I am sure I can arrange with Kingsley to take over my rounds a few times. I'd like to see the three of you two to three times a week."

"Sounds reasonable." Harry nodded.

"I will be assuming you are keeping up with practice while I'm not around, too. You can train together well enough." Remus looked specifically at Harry. "I know you used to run Dumbledore's Army, so I _know_ you're capable."

"Two to three times a week?" Ron asked with wide eyes. "More studying…" He groaned.

McGonagall shook her head. Well, it might have been too much to ask of the boy and he had probably thought that he wouldn't have to deal with more homework in the near future. "Yes, Mr. Weasley. Two to three times a week. Of course we do expect you to write a five-foot essay on each lesson that Professor Lupin is so generous to teach you." She smirked, when the red haired teen whimpered.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ronald, would you prefer to blame yourself later for dismissing important lessons while you are lying on the ground, wounded?"

"Owl us with the days and times you find suitable, Professor." Harry looked back at Lupin. "I'm sure we can manage."

One look at the angry Hermione and Ron hurriedly looked at the floor with a muttered 'no' and a helpless shrug of his shoulders. "Sorry." He whispered.

Rolling her eyes, McGonagall decided that it was time for her to return to Hogwarts, certainly some of the students had already gotten into trouble by now. So she bid Remus and the three teens goodnight and exited the house, passing the for once slumbering Mrs. Black on the way.

Remus nodded. "I should be taking my leave as well. I will owl you as soon as I've figured it out, Harry."

"Sounds good, Professor." Harry shrugged.

Remus bid the other two a good evening as well, before letting himself out, leaving the three teens to themselves.


	4. 03 De Templis et Servis

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Templis et Servis  
Authors : DracoCrescendo & Nuin  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Word count : this chapter : 4443 - total wordcount : 20.539  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayel & Flosspyromaniac  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Templis et Servis_ Of Dreams and House Elves.

**_Chapter 3 : De Templis et Servis_**

_Daily Prophet - September 17th 1997_

_Last night, the lifeless body of Horace Slughorn was found by a Muggle couple in the back of an alley in the small town of Rye. A team of Aurors was sent to the scene of the crime to Obliviate the Muggle bystanders and send them home. Horace Slughorn taught Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry last school year, but had been missing for several months already._

_According to the Auror team, the wounds were still quite fresh when they found his corpse. Whether this is a murder committed by Muggles or Wizards has not yet been clarified. We wait until the team and the Ministry release new information on the unfortunate death of Horace Slughorn.  
_

* * *

She hadn't meant to take a walk past curfew, but she just needed to get out of the stifling silence that permeated the Slytherin common rooms and dormitories. Pansy brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and kept walking through the deserted hallways of the lower levels in the castle. She wasn't sure were she was going, she just walked wherever her feet took her. 

Pansy hadn't run into any teachers yet, but they rarely made their rounds in the dungeons at this hour and she knew most of the good hiding spots just in case. The castle was quiet and Pansy liked it that way. It gave her the chance to just take in everything that made up the experience of the familiar old pile. She pulled her robes tighter around her body, being dressed only in her nightgown Pansy could easily feel the cool dungeon air seep through the fabric and chill her limbs.

Suddenly she stopped and looked around. Had she really been walking for so long that she no longer knew where she had ended up? Pansy didn't recognize her surroundings and she felt slightly panicked. She had heard of students that had wandered around for hours, getting lost and hadn't been found until someone had noticed that the person was even gone.

She had stopped by an open door to an disused classroom and she could see a row of windows along one wall, so she had to be above the dungeon level, Pansy reasoned. Slowly she walked into the classroom and glanced around. She took a few more steps until she could rest her hands on the windowsill and look out through the glass which was covered in dust. There hadn't been anyone in this room for a long time, she wondered as she pulled her hand away from the sill and surveyed the thick layer of dust that now covered her palm.

Why had she come in here?

The room was bare except for the desks scattered haphazardly around the room, some in small clusters, others standing by themselves. Then there was the statue at the back of the room. A beam of moonlight shone through the windows and hit something that seemed to made of metal on the statue. Pansy walked closer, curious as to what it could be. She came to a halt before the dust covered marble statue. Spotting a plaque at the base, she crouched down and brushed the filth away until she could make out the words.

_Rowena Ravenclaw_

Rising to stand up straight Pansy looked at the statue. She could understand why it wasn't on display like so many other statues in the castle. But why had no one repaired it? The marble was chipped and broken in several places, among those were the eyes, the hair and the flowing dress. The statue was missing its left arm, but the right one was intact and it was on that arm that the glint of metal caught her eyes. She leaned down to inspect it closer. It was a small bracelet made of silver and bronze in the shape of an eagle. '_How predictable of Ravenclaw._' Pansy thought.

She felt compelled to take it off the statue and couldn't stop herself form doing so. Holding the bracelet in her hands, Pansy turned it over and studied it form every angle. She turned around and walked out of the classroom, determined to get back to her dormitory all of the sudden. She knew that she should have put the bracelet back on the statue, but it wasn't like anyone was using it. Pansy put the silver and bronze piece into the pocket of her robes and walked down the still empty hallway.

* * *

McGonagall was looking around the Great Hall with a worried expression on her face. She could feel the tension in the air and she was certain the students could feel it, too. While the Aurors present at the school were only to patrol the hallways, they were now standing near one of the house tables. During the last week, there had been a few incidents between some students of Ravenclaws and Slytherins. 

Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, who had always kept mostly to themselves and their housemates over the past years, now suddenly raised their voices and picked fights with whoever who would insult them. One wrong word, one step in the wrong direction would send them flying at each other's throats. Thus had McGonagall come up with the idea to let the Aurors and Order members keep an eye on them at mealtimes as well. Food had been thrown back and forth more than once this week, often combined with a few well-aimed hexes.

She had punished the responsible students herself, but couldn't blame their moods in a time like this. They were all very tense and there were no small sparks this time, only the big fireworks. It seemed that the Slytherins had been trying to keep quiet this year. McGonagall wondered if it had something to do with the events of last year, or if some of the parents had actually told their children to keep a low profile. Anyway, none of the Houses seemed to be acting normal this year. Even the Gryffindors were quieter than usual, but their ever-present rivalry with Slytherin was still here.

For some reason, she was glad the Potter boy wasn't here this year. She knew deep inside that he had made the right choice by not returning to Hogwarts to serve a different goal. She only hoped he would be alright and that it would be enough this time.

'_Good luck, Harry. May Merlin help us all._' She thought to herself, before resuming her meal.

* * *

It was only a few days later that Hermione and Harry were standing in a rather empty room at Grimmauld Place. The only furniture in the room was a desk and a chair. Harry could only guess what the purpose of this room had been in the earlier years. The worn wood of the tabletop was now almost invisible due to the large amount of books that had been stacked on it. Along with the owls to arrange specific days and times for their scheduled lessons, Remus had sent Harry a number of books on advanced DADA. However they hadn't exactly started yet, Hermione had already taken it upon herself to go through their previous DADA books to practice the older spells. Harry hadn't been too joyous about the idea, but of course, Hermione did not take no for an answer. They had started out with simple spells and were now practicing a small duel. 

"Expelliarmus!"

"Hey!" Harry scowled.

"Pay attention, Harry." Hermione sniffed.

Harry growled. "Accio wand!" As he gripped his wand tightly again, he pointed it at her. "Confundo!"

"Protego!" Hermione deflected the charm, before sending a Furnuculus hex at him.

Harry jumped aside, but his arm was hit anyway. He grimaced at the sight of his arm starting to break out in boils, before pressing it against his stomach, hoping it would lessen the pain somehow. He turned a pair of angry green eyes at Hermione. "Incarcerous!"

Thick ropes appeared out of thin air, lashing out at Hermione to wrap themselves around her. She easily ducked aside and out of reach, severing them with a Diffindo spell.

"You're slacking, Harry!" She yelled. "Put some more effort into it. You're never going to get anywhere with those cheap tricks! I'm not made out of glass, so don't you even dare hold back on me! Oppugno!"

Harry had to throw himself face down onto the wooden floor to avoid a thick flock of owls to get in his face. Hereby, he landed on his painful arm and rolled over onto his back with a groan, closing his eyes. He felt a shoe pressing into his stomach and cracked an eye open to see Hermione smirking down at him. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?"

Harry's eyes narrowed and Petrified her with a mumble and a flick of his wand. He started to push himself up into a sitting position, grinning. "Ditto."

But apparently, he hadn't thought about the now Petrified Hermione losing her balance and falling to the floor with a loud thud. He cursed loudly, before scrambling over to her.

"Oh God," he groaned, "She's going to be so bloody pissed. Finite Incantatem."

Hermione blinked once, twice, before focusing on Harry who was leaning over her with an apologetic smile on his lips. In less than half a second, she had gripped him by the front of his shirt.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again, you hear me, Harry James Potter?!?!" She yelled in his face.

Harry cowered slightly. "You said yourself that I shouldn't hold back and that you were not made of glass..."

"That doesn't mean you can Petrify me and then knock me over, you nitwit!" She rolled her eyes, before rubbing the back of her head. "That bloody well hurt, you know."

"I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry carefully pried her fingers away, which were still tightly gripping his shirt.

He got to his feet and pulled Hermione up to her own, too. Hermione grimaced at the sight of Harry's left arm. "That must hurt, too."

"Yeah, kind of like bubotuber juice." He nodded, looking at it again himself.

He had almost forgotten about the boils on his arm, but suddenly, he could feel them again.

"I take it you don't have any Murtlap essence around, do you?" Hermione sighed.

Harry shook his head and snorted. "I don't brew potions in my free time."

"I recall you didn't seem to _mind_ brewing them last year." Hermione pursed her lips, before adding with a mumble. "And I told you that book was trouble." She paused, waiting for a reaction, but when it didn't come, she went on. "I'll bring some with me tomorrow. We'll smear some burn-healing paste on it for now."

Hermione took a hold of his other arm and started dragging him out of the room and down the stairs. "I remember seeing burn paste somewhere in the kitchen. I don't even know why you keep it there, but I suppose that is not really important."

Harry allowed himself to be dragged along and pushed down on a chair, while she rummaged through the drawers and pulled out a jar of thick orange cream. She scooped some onto her fingers and started smearing it on the boils on Harry's arm, while the latter tried not to hiss too much. It took a few minutes to cover the entire affected area and afterwards, Hermione was still not content.

She frowned. "Maybe we should put on a bandage on it for now."

"Really, Hermione, that's not necessary. I've had worse. I've _looked_ worse." Harry protested.

"Yes, I know." She sniffed, "But I don't want you to rub it off."

She conjured some bandages and started to wrap them around Harry's arm. Harry decided protesting would not lead to anything. So he just sat back, watching her, only to jerk his head up when he heard the whooshing sound of someone Floo-ing in.

Ron stepped through the fireplace and brushed the soot off his robes. He looked around for any sign of Harry having heard him Floo in, then called out.

"Harry?" He walked out into the hallway and hung his robe up on one of the hooks, being careful not to irk the painting of Mrs. Black.

"Yeah, we're in the kitchen, Ron." Harry called back.

"Oh." Ron wandered out into the kitchen and found Hermione wrapping Harry's arm with bandages. He cocked an eyebrow. "What have you two been doing?"

"Hermione hit me with a Furnunculus jinx." Harry scowled at Hermione.

"Don't be such a baby, Harry." She rolled her eyes. "In return, he Petrified me and knocked me onto the floor."

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Harry protested.

"You could have been a little more careful. Think before you act, Harry." Hermione sniffed.

"You've been busy then," he scratched behind his ear in thought. "But Hermione… shouldn't you be prepared for anything? I mean, I don't think the Death Eaters would show the same consideration as Harry in a fight." Ron said as he sat down by the table.

"He was on his back, Ronald. He Petrified me when I was standing over him. So much for fair play, but for once you are right, the Death Eaters will not take mercy on anyone. Not even when they're on their backs." She coolly replied as she finished bandaging Harry's arm, giving it a last firm tug while glaring at Harry.

Harry grit his teeth, but looked away from her eyes, knowing she was right. Again.

"Let's get to business, shall we?" He nodded as he flexed his arm to make sure Hermione hadn't cut off his bloodstream.

"Yes, alright." Hermione sighed. "I take it we all saw the article in the Prophet about Slughorn's death? So... What is our next step?"

Ron winced in sympathy at the treatment Hermione was giving Harry. That had got to hurt more than the boils themselves. He looked at Hermione and shrugged helplessly. "Although it's somewhat of a coincidence. We need information from him and he is found dead. I don't know what to do next."

"I'm a bit at loss myself." Harry grimly admitted. "My guess is that he was murdered by Death Eaters. I dare betting my head on it. This means that we must have been looking in the right direction. If Slughorn formed a threat to exposing Voldemort's secret, then I don't doubt Voldemort would rather have him out of the way."

"I agree." Hermione softly said with a nod. "But what else do we know?"

"Dumbledore told me that Riddle started working at Borgin & Burke's after he finished his seventh year." Harry said. "We know that he purchased a cup which originally belonged to Helga Hufflepuff and that Hepzibah Smith was found dead at one point. Riddle disappeared afterwards. We have good reason to believe that cup is a Horcrux. Borgin had already got his hands on a golden locket originally owned by Slytherin, the very same Dumbledore and I went looking for the other night, but that one turned out to be fake."

"But we still don't know where Riddle gained more information about Horcruxes." Hermione added. "Slughorn might have given him a head start, but there's no way he could have figured it out by himself."

"Don't underestimate him, Hermione," Harry warned her, "But you're right. Even if he had already immersed himself in the Dark Arts, he would have gotten his information elsewhere, too."

Ron nodded, when an idea popped into his head. "What's the best place to get information about the Dark Arts that we know of? Knockturn Alley. Maybe he found something while he was working there? There are bound to be a some bookshops with books that had what he needed."

"You're right, Ron." Hermione beamed. "We should definitely check out Knockturn Alley."

"I think they will not like having us snoop around. We're pretty familiar faces. " Harry frowned. "But of course we could always use a Glamour charm or something. It's not much, but at least it's a start. And while we check it out, keep an eye open for any objects that could be related to the Founders of Hogwarts. Riddle liked his Horcruxes to be trophies, it seems."

"Such as? The Hufflepuff cup, the Slytherin locket, what else?" Hermione asked.

"Slytherin's ring and Riddle's diary for example, which have both been destroyed." Harry nodded, "Maybe something else from Ravenclaw or Gryffindor? I don't know for sure. All of them should have some sort of value to him."

Ron grinned with pride when Hermione praised his idea. He leaned back against his chair. "So we put on a Glamour and snoop around in Knockturn Alley? Maybe look in some of the antiquity shops as well?"

"We could." Hermione nodded, "But we have to make sure they won't get suspicious of us. We can't just walk up to the counter and ask about Founder artefacts. I believe that would just be blowing our cover."

"I agree." Harry spoke up. "We have to be subtle about it."

Suddenly, there was a small popping sound coming from the drawing room. They looked at each other for a moment, before Hermione got up and snuck over to the doorway to see what was happening. She peeked into the drawing room and her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Kreacher.

"It's Kreacher!" She whispered in an urgent voice, looking back at the two boys. "I thought he was supposed to be working at Hogwarts!"

"He is." Harry growled, getting up from his chair. "And I'll gladly send him back with a kick in the arse."

"Kreacher?" Ron got up and joined the others by the door.

Hermione looked back at the dirty house elf, noticing it seemed to be looking for something. She put a hand against Harry's chest when he meant to go after it.

"Hold on a minute, Harry." She continued in a low tone. "It seems to be looking for something. Let's just keep an eye on him for a bit."

They watched the house elf run its bandaged hands over the furniture, muttering inaudible words to itself. Harry's eyes narrowed when it headed for the glass cabinets. It easily opened the doors and started rummaging through the shelves.

"You think it's come back for more Black heirlooms to keep him company at Hogwarts?" Harry softly snorted.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder to reply, but right then Kreacher squeaked loudly, which made her jerk around again.

"Gone!" The elf squeaked, wringing its hands together. "Gone! Kreacher wanted to bring it to true Mistress. Gone! Locket gone! Kreacher can not go to Mistress!"

It spent another few minutes squeaking hysterically and running frantically around the room, making sure the object of his investigation wasn't there. Suddenly, the elf came to a halt and its shoulders sagged. "Kreacher bad for losing. Kreacher must iron hands now."

After those last words, it simply popped off, presumably back to Hogwarts. When it was gone, Hermione turned around again and her eyes met Harry in sudden realisation.

"Locket?" They simultaneously asked.

Ron frowned. "Locket? What locket?" He looked at the spot where the House Elf had disappeared from. "Mistress? I thought you were Kreacher's master, Harry."

Harry looked at Ron, incredulous that he hadn't caught on immediately. He had a hard time remaining calm, suddenly very excited.

"I _am_, Ron, but since I am not a pureblood or a direct member of the Black family, he doesn't want to accept me." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "About the locket. Remember when we were cleaning up this place? We found a golden locket in those cabinets, remember? Nobody managed to open it. Ron, don't you know what this means?"

"Apparently not." Hermione interjected, snapping his fingers in front of Ron's face. "Ronald, this means we had one of the Horcruxes right _under_ our noses the entire time! Harry and Dumbledore couldn't find anything but a fake locket in the cave because the real one has been here all along! And now it is missing!"

"Err." Ron uttered and nodded slowly as he looked back and forth between them, still not really understanding what they were getting at. They were excited, he could see that. "Umm, so there was a Horcrux here?" That he had gotten at least. "But now it's not."

"Of course, it's not here anymore, Ronald!" Hermione rolled her eyes, "You just heard Kreacher say it ten times!" She turned back to Harry, who was actually following her train of thoughts. "It must have been hidden here for years, Harry! Under our noses and we were too blind to see it!"

"We didn't know what we were looking for in the first place." Harry protested, "But that's beside the point now."

"Who could have brought it in here? It must have been a member of the Black family, or one of the Death Eaters. But I can't really believe one of Voldemort's followers would actually steal it."

"Even if they _did_ know where he had hidden it." Harry added, nearly bouncing now.

"That I can't believe either, that he told just anyone where he kept it." Hermione shook her head, "But then who...?"

She broke off her sentence, eyes widening. "Harry..." She whispered, "The note..."

Harry blinked, but before he realised it, Hermione had already seized him by the arm and was dragging him up the few steps and into the drawing room. "Come on, Ronald! Don't just stand there!" Hermione called over her shoulder.

Harry winced at the grip on his injured arm, but the pain was soon forgotten as he noticed where she was dragging him off to. "The family tree!"

"If my assumptions are correct..." Hermione babbled, letting go of Harry and starting to blow the dust off the tapestry, before tracing the lines.

Harry intently watched her finger and suddenly realised where she was going. "Regulus!" He exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Hermione nodded frantically. "Sirius did say something about him having turned his back to Voldemort, but not having survived for long. If he renounced Voldemort and his followers, he could have stolen the locket from the cave when he found out it contained a part of Voldemort's soul."

Harry looked at the tapestry again, listening to Hermione babble while his eyes scanned upwards again.  
"R.A.B." He muttered to himself. "R.A.B. Alphard! Uncle Alphard! It has to be!"

He pointed at a burn mark. "Alphard Black was burnt off the tapestry because he gave gold to Sirius! They were both removed from the tree! That's it, Hermione! Regulus Alphard Black!"

Ron blinked, but decided to keep his mouth shut and just follow his friends as they made a dash for the upstairs drawing room. He came in while they were pointing at the Black Family Tree, shouting and babbling at each other with enthusiasm. Ron stared at the charred mark where Sirius' Uncle Alphard had been before he was burned off, then at Regulus' name. Finally he looked at Harry and Hermione.

"Eh?" He said faintly, he couldn't even follow their train of thoughts anymore and settled for just standing behind them with a lost expression on his face.

Hermione and Harry stopped talking for a second or two as they stared at Ron. They had completely forgotten he was there. Hermione was the first to break out of her daze.

"No matter, Ronald, just follow us." She nodded again, taking a hold on his sleeve and starting to drag him towards the stairs. "Come on, Harry! Onto the family library! Maybe there's something in there!"

Harry shook his head at his two friends, before following them in a small jog, a grin on his lips.

* * *

She tossed and turned, tangling her body further in the sheets. Sweat trickled down her temple and dripped onto her pillow. Pansy clenched her hand around a fistful of the thick covers, her face scrunched up in a frown. She grunted and rolled over onto her other side, falling further into her dream. 

_Pansy was standing in a field of grass that flashed in silver and bronze tones. An enormous eagle was soaring high above her, its cry resonating in her ears. A cool breeze tousled her hair and she reached up to brush it out of her face. The eagle suddenly landed right in front of her and without any warning it latched its sharp beak onto her wrist, biting down harshly until blood dribbled forth. The red liquid dropped onto the ground and stained the silver and bronze grass a reddish brown. She stared at the grass as it and the ground beneath slowly began to dissolve, leaving a gaping hole in the earth by her feet. _

Pansy snapped her eyes open and blinked several times. The room was dark. She could hear the soft noises of sleep and the occasional snore from her dorm mates and she reached out to part the curtains around her bed. Glancing at the clock on her nightstand she sighed. It was four in the morning, far too early to even think about waking up.

The brief image of glinting metal flashed through her mind. The shape was familiar and she knew she had seen it somewhere before. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and put her feet on the floor. Pansy shivered as the cold from the stone floor seeped into her skin. Slowly she got up and stretched, then she tiptoed to the end of her bed, not wanting to wake up the other girls in the room. Crouching in front of her trunk she opened it and riffled through her clothes and books. Pansy didn't know why she was so determined to find the bracelet all of the sudden, when she had nearly forgotten that she still had it.

Her fingers touched something cool and she grasped it with her hand, pulling it out of the trunk. Pansy held the silver bracelet up in front of her eyes and studied it with a squinting gaze. The bronze eagle stood out slightly in the dark from the silver surrounding it. Without really thinking about it, she put the bracelet on her right wrist and she gasped when the cool metal touched her skin. Then suddenly the bracelet seemed to come alive as she fastened the clasp. Where the clip had been earlier the metal had melded together, leaving Pansy without a way to get the bracelet off again. A haze settled over her mind. Then everything seemed darker than before as she passed out.

Tbc.


	5. 04 De Vocibis Parvis

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Vocibis Parvis  
Authors : DracoCrescendo & Nuin  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Word count : this chapter : 4463 - total wordcount : 25.002  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayel & Flosspyromaniac  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Vocibus Parvis_ Of Little Voices.

**_Chapter 4 : De Vocibus Parvis_**

Draco's heartbeat rang in his ears as he kneeled down before the Dark Lord. The Dark Mark on his arm was still throbbing painfully and he felt a trickle of sweat running down the back of his neck. He had panicked as soon as he had felt the burn on his arm while he had been sitting in his room. He and Severus had changed locations not too long ago and while Draco had known he would be called sooner or later, it had still come unexpectedly.

The room was silent, except for the crackling fire of the torches on the wall. He felt like he sat there for an eternity, bracing himself for the punishment that would certainly come his way. There was a slight rustling of robes coming closer to him and he could feel himself starting to tremble as goose bumps grew on his arms.

"You failed your assignment, Draco." Voldemort's icy tone sliced through him like a knife.

Draco remained silent, keeping his gaze trained on the dirty stone floor underneath him. His mouth was dry and he had difficulty swallowing. "I lead the Death Eaters inside the castle walls, my Lord, and Albus Dumbledore is dead." He answered in a husky whisper.

"But he was not killed by your hand, was he?"

"No, my Lord."

"Then your punishment shall remain the same." Draco froze and scrunched his eyes shut. "Crucio!"

Even though Draco had been bracing himself, he gasped at the pain overwhelming him, not able to suppress a cry. He couldn't even tell how long the Dark Lord had him under the curse, but it surely felt like hours. He writhed on the floor, forcing himself in all kinds of twists and knots, hoping to find relief somehow. He felt like his body was on fire on the inside and was being torn apart in all direction at the same time. He moaned piteously, curling up in a foetal position. He twitched with every jolt the curse sent through his body, shaking like a leaf until his Master finally decided to lift the spell. When it had been removed, he felt like he couldn't breathe, gasping like a fish thrown onto the shore.

"Get up!" Voldemort demanded. "Get up, you fumbling idiot!"

With trembling limbs, he managed to push himself onto his hands and knees before finally being able to stand up. He felt somewhat light in the head, but didn't risk sitting down again. He kept his head low, inwardly wincing at the painful feeling in his knees and arms. He shot a glance at one of his hands and noticed the skin on his palm was raw and bleeding, probably from the scraping against the floor. He silently mused that being run over by that bloody Buckbeak was possibly more pleasant and preferred over this treatment.

"I am going to give you one last chance, Draco." Voldemort hissed. "If you fail again, I will kill you without sparing you a second glance. Is that understood?"

Draco was trying to find his voice again, but before he could open his mouth, Voldemort spoke again. "And I'll make sure that you will see what's coming to you when I demonstrate it on your parents first."

Draco gulped and nodded numbly. "Yes, my Lord."

"You are to retrieve a silver bracelet with a bronze eagle from within Hogwarts' walls. Make sure you find it or else..." He left the threat hanging in the air, but Draco needn't to be told twice.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Now get out of my sight!" Voldemort snarled.

It took another moment before Draco gathered all of his wits and was able to Apparate back to where he and Snape were staying.

* * *

Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic, sat behind his desk, head bent over a stack of papers. He read through the reports that seemed to keep coming in, each new report bringing more devastating news than the last. Wizards and witches, good people, turned up dead at a moment's notice. Often the Dark Mark was found hovering above the body, though more often than not it wasn't . The Aurors didn't know whether to give the Dark Lord credit for these crimes as well or not, but Scrimgeour wouldn't put it past You-Know-Who to keep the side of Light in the dark simply because he could. 

The situation was getting out of hand.

In the past couple of months, a Muggle village had been attacked, its inhabitants brutally tortured and murdered, and Horace Slughorn, a former Hogwarts professor, had been found dead. Then there were the rest of the unsolved cases that with a bit of investigation could surely be traced to Death Eater activities.

Scrimgeour sighed. The public was beginning to lose faith. Ever since Dumbledore's death, the world had been growing more restless as if without the old man, there was no hope. The Ministry was no longer trusted as much as he would have liked. If only the Potter boy had agreed to support the Ministry, then perhaps things would not have looked so dire.

What was he going to do?

Someone knocked on the door to his office and his secretary entered carrying a large stack of papers. She put them down on his desk.

"These need to be signed by the afternoon, and here is another report from the Auror Headquarters. It seems that another unexplained death has occurred." She spoke in a bored tone of voice and looked at him, before turning around and walking out of the door again.

Scrimgeour groaned and looked at the new stack of papers. More work. He picked up the new report from the Auror and read it through. Suddenly, he dropped the papers and rested his elbows on the desk, while he took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes with the tips of his fingers.

He needed some kind of miracle to turn things around.

The Muggle Prime Minister would need to know as well, Scrimgeour decided. Even if he thought it best to keep the Muggles unaware, having an entire town's population murdered and tortured was sure to grab their attention.

He would make the arrangements with Cornelius Fudge later, the other man still held some influence with the Muggle Relations and would perhaps prove useful.

* * *

The first time she heard the softly spoken voice, Pansy thought nothing of it, and dismissed it as another student whispering to some of his friends. It was a male voice, she was sure of that. But when she kept hearing it throughout the day, she began to look around in search of its owner. Its soft, purring tone sent shivers down her spine. But when the voice kept speaking to her and she couldn't detect its owner, she began to feel nervous. 

Was she being stalked?

Around noon Pansy decided she had had enough of the whispers. She skipped lunch and returned to her dormitory for a bit of rest. Putting down her book bag on the floor by her bed, she crawled onto the mattress and stretched out on her stomach. She rested her head in her palms and closed her eyes.

She was starting to doze off when the voice whispered in her ear again. Quickly Pansy got up from the bed and looked around the room. Shadows danced around in the room obscuring the corners and darkening the spaces between furniture. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

"Hello?" She called out. "Is anyone here?"

The voice kept murmuring, not showing any sign of wanting stop any time soon. Pansy whirled her head around when it seemed as if the voice came from behind her, but she was alone in the room.

"Peeves? Is that you? If it is… stop this right now, or I'll tell one of the Professors." Pansy threatened with a trembling voice. "I mean it."

Her words were only met by silence, and she breathed in relief. Sinking down onto the bed she looked at the cracks between the stone blocks that were the floor. '_It was only Peeves,_' she told herself. Peeves, who wanted to play a nasty prank on her. The ghost had stopped now, she was sure of it. The dorm room was quiet.

Pansy let her upper body fall back onto the mattress, her legs still hanging over the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath and stared at the canopy above her. Everything was silent for a couple of minutes, when the voice suddenly started to laugh in short bursts and barks.

She had had enough. Pansy jumped up from the bed, picking up her book bag in her haste to get out of the empty room. She ran through the Common Room and out into the hallway on the other side of the solid wall guarding the Slytherin House, the laughter following her all the way.

Pansy rushed into the Great Hall near the end of lunch. She sat down beside Millicent and reached for a piece of fruit and something to drink. '_Maybe it will calm my nerves_,' she thought. The disembodied voice had stopped laughing a few feet before she entered the Great Hall, and for that she was grateful. Biting into the apple she had picked out, Pansy listened half-heartedly to the conversation Millicent was having with Blaise.

When lunch ended the group headed off to class with the rest of the students as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Pansy, however, walked around in a daze and a state of anxiety. She kept watching over her shoulder and barely paid attention to anything the teachers or her classmates said.

For the voice returned whenever she was starting to relax, laughing and whispering to her without anyone else being able to hear. She wasn't able to make out any words, but it wasn't the words, but the tone that frightened her. It was alluring and dark, malicious, but courteous at the same time.

At the end of the day, she was a nervous wreck.

* * *

"You will have to put more effort in that shield, Harry!" Remus called out. 

Harry didn't reply, only narrowed his eyes, sweat trickling down his temples as he tried to hold up the shield created by the Protego shield. After their lesson with Remus in the late afternoon, Ron and Hermione had retreated to the Black library at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place while Remus had asked Harry to stay behind for some more practice.

The backyard of the Burrow was large enough to practice spells, so they had remained outside even though it had started to drizzle. They had started out easy, going over defensive charms again. Remus was not a big fan of the "attack is the best defence"-strategy. He believed in solid defensive shields and charms. Honestly, he thought that it would be a lot more useful for Harry to deflect a hex thrown his way than to duck it by sheer luck. He would try to make sure that nothing would be left to sheer dumb luck, and proper preparation was the key.

Remus paid close attention that his Incendio spell would not actually hurt Harry, but he had to make sure that the lad would keep up a decent shield. He noticed that sometimes the flames would momentarily break through the pale blue screen, making Harry step back each time.

The long days Harry spent with Ron and Hermione going through the library, were certainly taking their toll on all of them. They were all tired, but tried their best at the lessons anyway. Even though it was just practice, the trio realised that this was just a small taste of what would actually be coming to them.

Remus noticed Harry stepping back again, his hands starting to tremble. The moment the shield fell away, Remus ended the spell. Harry fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath. He slammed his fist into the grass, frustrated. Usually, he could do much better and he knew it. Remus walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Harry looked up at him. Even if Remus' eyes were soft, his voice was surprisingly cool and firm.

"Again." He commanded. "Get up."

Harry obeyed, shrugging his sore shoulders in a small effort to relax the muscles in them. Without warning, Remus fired a Stunner. Harry ducked aside and shot a Blasting curse in return. Remus sighed and used a Backfiring jinx to send it back to Harry. Harry's eyes slightly widened and quickly conjured his Shield Charm, but was thrown back by the effect of the Blasting curse hitting the shield with its full force.

Remus put his wand away and sauntered over to Harry who was lying on his back a few metres further. He looked down at him.

"You're hardly trying, Harry."

Harry groaned and sat up, rubbing at the lower part of his back. "I _am_ trying." He snarled.

"Then try harder because you are not going to get anywhere with the weak spells you're trying on me." Remus sighed and kneeled down beside him.

"It's been long days." Harry scowled. "There's a lot of work to be done in the library, but there seems del - to come no end to it."

"And you think that is a good excuse, Harry?" Remus cocked an eyebrow. "Do you even think for one moment that Lord Voldemort will take pity on you just because you're not fit and had not enough sleep?"

"No." Harry coldly said. "But you're not Voldemort. You _could_ show some understanding."

"I show understanding." He replied, completely calm. "But I am still your teacher and you will not learn anything by being taken pity on."

"I don't want _anyone_ to pity me!" Harry bit back.

"Then stop making excuses and cast proper spells."

Harry stood up and brushed the wet grass off his clothes, angry. "You of all people should know how much this war means to me." He sniffed. "You knew my parents. You were their friend. You were there with Sirius, too. So why don't you understand?" He turned a defiant look at him, before starting to head back to the Burrow.

Remus' eyes narrowed and he swiftly got to his feet, stalking after him. He grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and whirled him around, gripping his shirt tightly.

"Now you listen to me, Harry," he barked, "It's not because I personally knew your parents that I should go soft on you. I might have looked the other way with the map at Hogwarts, but I will not look away again. I will not keep the truth from you, either. You must learn to understand that this is _real_. This is not just preparation, Harry, the lessons I am teaching you now may just as well make the difference between you surviving or dying at the battlefield. I care for you like you were my family and I will not see you losing your life because of a simple mistake." He paused for a moment. "Your parents and Sirius would surely agree with me."

Harry looked back at him, opening his mouth to answer, but Remus went on. "I will not keep things from you. You are old enough to know what you are up against."

"I know what I'm up against." Harry growled.

"Then why is it that you want me to take your ridiculous excuses into account and go easy on you?" Remus coldly spoke. "Do you have a death wish, Harry? Well, do you?"

Harry shifted, feeling pretty uncomfortable now. "No..."

"Then stop pitying yourself for being tired." He gave him a shove, causing Harry to stumble back a few steps. "I will not hold back like I have been doing before, Harry Potter, so you better be ready now. _Again_!"

* * *

Minerva McGonagall stirred the spoon around in her cup of Earl Grey, then picked it up and sipped slowly, enjoying the taste of the lukewarm liquid. It had become part of her daily ritual to take an hour off from her duties and simply relax. Even though she had been the Deputy Headmistress for several years now, being Headmistress was much more stressful than she had thought. McGonagall had found a new form of respect for her old mentor these past months. To deal with the issues of the school and the pressure of the Ministry took a lot of patience and skill. Hopefully she wouldn't run out of either in the near future. 

She sighed and glanced at the portrait of the former Headmaster. Though Albus had appeared on the once empty canvas a few weeks ago, he had yet to move or speak. It was disconcerting to look at such a portrait of a man that had always been in motion, be it the small twinkling of his eyes or the movements of his hands toward the bowl where he kept his lemon drops. The bowl was gone now, replaced by a silver tray laden with a teapot, cups, a jug of milk, with a stay cool charm on it, and a small bowl of sugar.

Putting down her cup on the desk, McGonagall rose from her seat and walked over to Fawkes' perch. The phoenix had slowly begun to look better since Albus had come into view in his portrait, though its eyes had not yet regained their former gleam. Sometimes, she wondered if it would ever return. Gently, she reached out and brushed a hand over the reddish gold feathers of the bird's head. Fawkes trilled softly and closed its eyes contently, leaning its head further into the contact.

They stood like this for a couple of minutes. Though they both wished that someone else was here with them, they enjoyed each other's company. Fawkes let out another tune, the soft melodic song soothing her heart. She smiled sadly at the bird and patted its head once more.

"Cheer up," a familiar voice said suddenly. "There is no need for such sad faces."

Both McGonagall and Fawkes looked at the portrait with startled expressions. The Headmistress stepped away from the phoenix and walked towards the portrait. "Albus?"

The portrait of the former Headmaster smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "Why, Minerva, my dear. Surely my appearance isn't that much of a shock?"

A tear slipped down her cheek and she reached up to wipe it away. "No, of course not, Albus." McGonagall said with a small smile, then composed herself again and shot him a reproving glare. "If I could, I would smack you for surprising us like that."

Albus merely smiled serenely and ran his fingers through his long white beard while leaning further back in his frame. But he soon leaned forward to touch his fingers against the canvas, the barrier between the world of portraits and the real world. "Alas, I can reach into your world no more than you could reach mine, Minerva."

"Albus…" she sighed and walked behind her desk to sit down.

"If I could, my dear. I would not be without my favourite pair of socks and my sherbet lemons. You wouldn't happen to have any at hand, would you?"

McGonagall rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh softly. Despite death, her mentor hadn't changed much. "No, Albus. I'm sorry, but I haven't any."

Albus looked saddened and McGonagall felt a stab at her heart. He had just appeared in his portrait, something she and many others had been waiting for, and she had removed his favourite thing from the office.

"Minerva, stop thinking so much. It'll give you wrinkles. Not that I am suggesting that you have any, of course. Have a sherbet lemon."

"But I don't have any sweets around, Albus." Not to mention that she absolutely detested those things. Which was one of the reasons she had removed it in the first place.

Albus' eyes twinkled again and his beard rustled with silent laughter. "Try the secret compartment in the bottom of the left drawer."

* * *

_Narcissa, _

_Draco has received his new assignment from the Dark Lord._

_Severus Snape._

_Severus,_

_Meet me at the Obscura in half an hour._

_Narcissa._

Severus entered the pub, aptly named Obscura, the room was dim and most of the corners were shrouded in shadows. He walked over and sat down in one of the darker areas by a small table. Ordering a single shot of Firewhiskey, he leaned back in his chair and waited for his companion to arrive.

Why Narcissa wanted to speak with him, he didn't know. He had told all she needed to know. Draco had received new assignment and he wasn't to fail this one. Other than that, what was there to tell? Severus sipped calmly of his drink.

She nervously glanced around as she pulled the cloak a bit tighter around her. Her face was well-hidden by the hood and she wished to keep it that way. Narcissa loathed coming to Knockturn Alley, certainly at this late hour, but this was an exception to be made. She managed her way past several grim-looking figures and was more than glad when she entered the Obscura. She took a quick look around, noticing Severus sitting in the corner. She made her way over to the table an sat down across from him.

Severus looked up when he noticed someone sitting down in the chair across the table from him. He inclined his head in greeting.

"Narcissa." He put down his glass and steepled his fingertips, looking at her over the tops of his joined hands. "What is it you wanted?"

"What's the assignment?" She asked.

She was not in the mood for small talk. She wanted to get straight to the point. Narcissa had been worried about her son, having heard rumours left and right that he had failed his previous assignment. But she had to know for sure. Severus arched an eyebrow and sighed.

Picking up his glass and swirling the liquid around inside a few times, before taking a sip, he said: "To retrieve a bracelet from Hogwarts."

Severus wasn't certain how much Narcissa was willing to know about her son's "appointment" with the Dark Lord and the assignment itself. Though, he was not accustomed to divulging any more than necessary in terms of information, he would probably end up telling her, if she asked.

Narcissa nodded and remained quiet for a moment. This new assignment seemed to be less dangerous than the last one, but she knew better than to underestimate the Dark Lord.

"Severus... I've heard rumours, but I must know for sure. Did Draco murder Dumbledore?"

Severus stared at her, his face blank and lips set in a tight line. It just had to be _that_ question. He sighed. "No, he did not. Draco hesitated at the last moment."

She nodded again, clasping her hands together on the table and looking down at them. So the Dark Lord had decided to give him another chance. She was more than glad he hadn't just killed him, but familiar fear crept into her chest again. The game was going to start all over again. She heaved a sigh. Her son had failed his first assignment, then why did she feel relieved, if only a little? Narcissa looked back at Severus.

"How is he doing?"

"He is dealing with what he has at the moment. He is stubborn." Severus muttered and drank the last of his Firewhiskey, then placed the glass on the table. "Draco will succeed this time, Narcissa."

"I hope so." Narcissa whispered. "Any news on Lucius by any chance?"

He shook his head. "None, as far as I know, he is still incarcerated within Azkaban's walls and the Dark Lord has no intention of breaking him out, yet."

"Why do I have the feeling that he is safer in there than out?" She mumbled and shook her head.

"Because he very well may be." Severus let his shoulder drop in a curt imitation of a shrug. "His family name may be tainted, but at least he is alive."

But for how long? That was the question, he thought. Certainly now that the Dark Lord was back and wielded power over his minions once again, he would not let those, who failed him, live. Draco may have gotten a second chance, but would Lucius?

"All these years, Severus," Narcissa sadly shook her head, "I knew this would be coming someday. Draco joining the Dark Lord's ranks. He was prepared, but still..." She paused, rubbing at her eyes briefly. "He wasn't ready, Severus. It was too soon."

"I doubt that anyone would ever be ready for what was asked of your son, Narcissa." Severus watched her closely, then pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. "No one ever is in this kind of situation."

Narcissa ignored the offered handkerchief, pushing his hand away, before turning a pair of cool blue eyes at him.

"You don't understand, Severus." She hissed, "You have no idea what it's like to see your husband leave for each of their _bloody_ meetings, to read in the Prophet what they have done this time or the last. You cannot imagine the fear I've been through all these years. You cannot simply begin to understand what it's like for me to go through this all over again with my _only_ son. Draco is not Lucius. Draco is... innocent."

He put away the handkerchief with a sigh.

"Perhaps not. No, I don't understand what it is like be the one left behind to wait for news." Though he hated bloodying his hands on the Dark Lord's orders, he did what was necessary to stay alive another day. He would not have minded being ordered to stay behind. "Innocent is a strong word, Narcissa. I do not believe any of us are innocent in regards to this war anymore."

"There are several kinds of innocence, Severus." She coolly said, before rising from her seat. "I should be going."

He nodded and made to rise from his own chair when he thought of something. "Narcissa, you might want to consider leaving the country for a while." Severus said calmly.

She couldn't really say that she hadn't thought about that possibility, but so far she hadn't made her decision yet. She knew Severus meant well, but she chose to ignore that anyway. She stepped closer to him, averting her eyes.

"You know, Severus..." She hesitated. "Sometimes I'm not even sure anymore if this is all worth it."

After that, she let her fingers brush his shoulder ever so lightly, before taking her leave.


	6. 05 De Caliginibus et Repertis

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Caliginibus et Repertis  
Authors : DracoCrescendo & Nuin  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Wordcount : this chapter : 4501 - total wordcount : 29.503  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayet & Flosspyromaniac  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Caliginibus et Repertis _ Of Mists and Discoveries.

* * *

Chapter 5 : De Caliginibus et Repertis 

Draco quietly sneaked through the hallways of Hogwarts castle, glancing over his shoulder every now and then. He didn't want to be spotted by any students and professors. He found his way down the dungeons easily, having lived there for the previous six years of his life. The only trouble would be getting into the Slytherin common room. He didn't have the password and the wall that separated him from familiar territory would not be opened with a few spells.

Luck seemed to be on his side when he spotted a few Slytherins sauntering through the hallway. Draco couldn't say he knew them by name, but he recognised them from his time at Hogwarts. He quickened his pace to catch up with them and tapped the boy on the right on his shoulder. The boy nearly jumped and whirled around.

"Bad conscience?" Draco smirked haughtily.

Even though the smirk was only to keep up the façade these days, he should not let anyone notice this. He was known superiority in the Slytherin House and he would not let anyone break down that wall. The boy was simply staring at him, looking for words, but Draco cut him off.

"I need the password to get into the common room." He demanded.

"I'm not sure if we should give that to you," another boy, who had been just as surprised as his companion, stuttered.

"It's important." Draco snorted. "Order from the Dark Lord."

At that, they immediately nodded and told him the password to get in. Draco left without even thanking them, placing his hand against the familiar stone and mumbling the password under his breath. The wall gave away and he stepped into the rather quiet room. It was already late, but still several pairs of eyes turned to him and his smirk did not falter when the students started whispering. He noticed his former classmates sitting in a corner near the fireplace and walked over to them.

Pansy was sitting by the fireplace in the Slytherin common room, listening to the sounds of the other Slytherins as they worked on their homework, or played games to pass the time. She had discovered that the voice would be more difficult to hear, if she concentrated on the noises that other people made. The haughty voice would be drowned out if she focused enough, but this tended to make her space out.

She stared at the flickering flames in the hearth, one elbow resting on the arm of her chair with her chin placed in the palm. Pansy could hear Millicent and Blaise talk in low tones, and she could feel the worried glances they cast her way. Their gazes sent shivers down her spine, causing her to nearly lose concentration more than once. It was then that the voice would speak louder, laughing beguilingly and whispering soft, unrecognisable, but still alluring words, in her ears and mind.

Quickly, she shook her head. Pansy didn't want to listen anymore, and absentmindedly she pulled at the hem of her shirt to cover the silver and bronze bracelet on her right wrist.

Blaise was studying Pansy with a frown, when he noticed the sudden silence in the room. Looking around, he blinked once and hastily smoothed his expression into that of a bored and not at all surprised individual.

"Draco?"

Draco smirked even wider as Blaise hurried to cover up his surprise. "I hardly look like Sprout, now do I?"

Blaise rolled his eyes and snorted. "Thank Merlin for that. I don't think I could handle you looking like Professor Sprout." He got up from his chair and walked over to the former Slytherin. Blaise eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

Draco faked a gasp and put his hand over his heart. "That hurts, Blaise. Am I not allowed to come see my old friends once in a while?"

"Not when you're supposed to be on the run, you're not." Blaise crossed his arms and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He arched an eyebrow. "Returning to the scene of the crime, Malfoy?"

Now, it was Draco's turn to roll his eyes. That was a remark he should have seen coming, but he easily masked the uneasiness it brought to him. He lowered his voice. "I'm not here for chitchat, Blaise. I'm here for other, more important business."

Blaise shrugged. "I figured as much, when you suddenly turned up. So what are you doing here?"

"I see my absence hasn't affected your intelligence then." Draco sneered. "I'm looking for a silver bracelet. I take it you haven't come across it per coincidence? "

Tapping his chin with a single finger, Blaise pondered out loud. "A silver bracelet, you say? Can't say that I have. Tough luck, old friend."

"I can't really say I expect it to be somewhere in plain sight. I'll just have to look for it." Draco shrugged. "Why the Dark Lord wants me to retrieve it, I don't understand."

He looked at Millicent and Pansy. Millicent was immersed in a book, while Pansy seemed to be staring off into space. He frowned. "What's up with Pansy?"

Blaise turned his head around to look at Pansy. "I don't know. She's been like this for a while now, but refuses to tell us anything." He sighed and uncrossed his arms, opting instead to stuff his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

Draco walked over to her and sat himself down on the arm of the chair. "You do know that those bricks are not going to just jump up and start dancing, do you?" He smirked.

Pansy was still staring at the flames, when she heard the familiar voice speak to her. She nearly jumped in surprise and whipped her head around to look at Draco with wide eyes. She stared at him for a few moments before narrowing her eyes into slits.

"I don't expect them to. What are you doing here?" Pansy wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms, but she was still angry that he hadn't answered her letters, or even sent her any form of message in the last couple of months, nothing at all.

"Like I just told Blaise," Draco heaved a dreaded sigh, "I'm here for business." He paused. "So what's been going on with you, since Blaise tells me you've been acting a little strangely? Don't miss me that much, do you?"

"Business? That is why you've returned?" She asked, glaring at him. "As for my acting strangely, which I'm not, maybe you would know, if you had bothered to answer my letters, or even ask how I was doing. Four months, Draco Malfoy. Four months, and not a word."

"Did you expect me to come back this year?" Draco coldly stared back. "And you should have known better than to expect any letters from me, Pansy. They could have been intercepted and be tracked back to me. Would you have liked to hear about me being sent to Azkaban? Not like I didn't have anything better to do. "

"Then don't act as if nothing has happened." She shot back, getting up from her seat. "You come in here and start smiling and joking. But I have spent four months worrying. Would I see your face on the front page of the Daily Prophet? Would I hear about you being caught?" Pansy huffed and wrapped her arms around her middle, and managed to keep the hem of her shirt over the bracelet without revealing it. "You're a Slytherin, Draco. If you wanted to get a message through, you would have found a way, without being detected."

"If you had been in my position, you would probably have done the same. I was trying to stay alive, Pansy," he snarled, "I'm not sure if that even goes through that thick skull of you. I can't believe you would get upset about some stupid owls. I thought you would at least understand the danger I was in, but apparently, I was mistaken."

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and Pansy set her lips in a thin line. "Well, so much for worrying. I can see that it apparently doesn't matter if I would have liked to know that you were alive."

She turned around and stormed off toward her dormitory, her hand clamped over the bracelet all the way. The voice whispered soothingly to her, but she could still hear its laughter resounding in her mind.

"Pansy!" Draco sighed and rolled his eyes, "Why must you always blow things up?" When he got no reply, he just shrugged. "Women." He turned back to Blaise with a smirk on his lips. "I don't notice anything strange about her. She seems perfectly fine to me."

Blaise rolled his eyes, and shook his head. "Brilliant observation, Draco. You must have got a hold of her at a "good" time. Now this bracelet, where exactly were you planning on looking for it?"

Draco shrugged. "If I knew where it was, I wouldn't have to look for it. I'm not sure where to start, but I'll manage."

"Well, if you need any help, you don't have to ask." Blaise smirked. "I would love not to help you, so have fun with the treasure hunt." He flopped down onto the available space beside Millicent on the couch.

"I didn't expect any less from you, Blaise." Draco sneered back.

He turned his back to them and started to walk away, giving them a small careless wave.

* * *

Gawain Robards looked around the streets and sadly shook his head. People were strewn everywhere, on the street as well as inside their houses and backyards. Their bodies were lying motionless on the ground and their expressions marked with horrific expressions. Another small village had been hit by You-Know-Who's forces, only this time, it seemed that he had sent the Dementors to do his bidding. This village wasn't too far off the last one that had been destroyed by Death Eaters and because the people had probably been scared witless, they had been an easy prey for the soul-sucking creatures. 

There couldn't have been more than forty-five people living in this village, most of them elderly people. It seemed that the Dark Lord took no mercy on anyone, but Robards couldn't say he had expected otherwise from a maniac like that. He kneeled down beside one of the victims. It was a horrible sight. The people who hadn't died of a heart attack or simple weakness, were now nothing more than empty shells. The Dementors had done their job well since there was not a single survivor to be found. The head of the Auror Office couldn't help but wonder how many there had been. And he couldn't say he was looking forward to reporting the incident to Scrimgeour himself.

* * *

Pansy slammed the door shut after her as she entered the dormitory. She stalked around the room for a few moments, fuming silently at Draco. Then she walked into the adjoining bathroom and changed into her nightgown, deciding that she would rather go to bed than go back down and face that infuriating Malfoy. She brushed he teeth brusquely, glaring at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. Spitting out the last of the foamy toothpaste, Pansy wiped her mouth and entered the dormitory again. 

She sank down onto her bed and crawled under the covers, feeling sluggish all of the sudden. Pansy curled up drawing her legs close to her stomach, and closed her eyes. Soon the only noise in the room was the laboured breath of her sleeping deeply.

Pansy looked around, finding herself once more standing in the field of bronze and silver grass. The eagle was sitting appeased on her shoulder, but she couldn't feel its claws digging into her flesh through the fabric of her nightgown, even if she could see it. The sun was shining brightly, though it wasn't yellow as she would have expected, but blood red. Drops of crimson coloured liquid dripped from it toward the ground. Then suddenly the light went out, the sun disappearing in flash of red light. The eagle let out a high pitched shriek and took off, flying high into the sky. She stared at the bird for a while and sighed wistfully. Pansy jumped when she felt something cool snake around her wrists. She looked down at her hands, only to find them ensnared by a green mist that chilled her to the bones. She tried to jerk her arms away, but she couldn't. She was trapped by the green tendrils.

Sitting up with a jerk of her body, Pansy breathed heavily, her eyes flickering about the dark space wildly. She checked her arms, they were fine with only the bracelet stuck on her right wrist. Slowly she stretched out on her bed again, but didn't fall asleep. Cool, callous laughter rang in her ears.

* * *

Ron sat in one of the oversized, plush chairs in the library at number 12, Grimmauld Place, with an equally oversized book in his lap. He sighed. Casting a glance at Harry and Hermione, he closed the book with a loud snap. When they both looked up at him from their own books, he shrugged. "I need to take a break, stretch my legs and clear my head." He pushed away the book placing it on the table beside his chair, then got up and walked out of the room. 

He walked aimlessly through the hallway of the old building, tracing his fingers along the cracked plaster on the mouldy walls. Suddenly, he found himself standing in the drawing room and looking at the large Black Family tapestry at the wall farthest from him. He stared transfixed at the burnt spots scattered around on the family tree. Slowly her walked forward and raised his hand to touch the spot where he knew Sirius' name had been. He then traced the line up to Sirius' parents and further still, following the intertwining lines until he reached the mark where he had once been told the woman, who had married Grandfather Weasley, and in turn was his grandmother, had been. He traced a finger around the scorched edges of the hole in the tapestry.

His fingers hit a edge of something solid, something that was behind the tapestry. Ron frowned and carefully pulled a bit of the family tree away from the wall to see if he could look through the hole he had been tracing. He couldn't. He then walked to the end of the tapestry and lifted the entire side away. Poking his head in behind it, he noticed some kind of niche. Ron reached out and felt inside, frowning when his fingers touched something square formed. He plucked it from its spot. Wondering why no one had noticed this before, he easily pulled the thing out from behind the tapestry.

It looked like a journal. Ron turned it over, studying it with a frown. 'Why would anyone hide a book there?' He thought to himself. He flipped it open and read the words on the very first page.

Property of Regulus Alphard Black

Blinking slowly, Ron read it again, feeling as if he should know something. He looked at the words for a few minutes, when a thought suddenly popped into his mind. His eyes widened and he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Harry! Hermione! You have got to see this!"

* * *

Daily Prophet - October 17th 2007.

A week ago, another Muggle village was violently stripped of its inhabitants. The Aurors working the case haven't found a single survivor. The Ministry is trying hard to keep the most gruesome details from the victims' Muggle relatives as not to expose the secret of the Wizarding World. Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror Office, has confirmed the fact that this incident was not caused by Death Eaters themselves, but by the Dementors under He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's command. Minister Scrimgeour was not available for comments, but his representative told us the Minister of Magic is busy looking into negotiations to come up with a solution.

* * *

Scrimgeour sat behind his desk with yet another report on yet another attack caused by the followers of the Dark Lord. He raked a hand through his greying hair, nearly knocking his glasses of his nose as his returned his hand to flip the pages of the report. Another Muggle village had been attacked, this time by a flock of Dementors. 

"Blast it all." He muttered and inwardly cursed the Dark Lord in much more colourful ways.

Scrimgeour put the papers down and reached for his quill, jotting down a couple of notes on a blank piece of parchment. He would need to notify the Muggle Prime Minister about this. The Muggles would want to know what had happened, and he couldn't allow the truth to be revealed. Thus the Prime Minister would have to come up with some sort of explanation for the situation. And he would need to bring Fudge with him. Scrimgeour called for his secretary to bring the former Minister to him.

After getting the message by a secretary, Cornelius Fudge had exited his cubicle and headed toward the Minister of Magic's office, he stopped by the door that had once led to his office. Grumbling about how Scrimgeour would muck everything up, he knocked with two short raps.

Scrimgeour looked up from the report in his hands at the knocks and called out." Enter."

Fudge opened the door, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "Scrimgeour, you wanted to see me?" He uttered with barely hidden disdain for his replacement. Taking off his bowler hat, Fudge sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk from the Minister.

"Yes, Cornelius. In a short while I will leave to speak with the Muggle Prime Minister and since you still have the most experience of dealing with his kind, I would like for you to tag along." Scrimgeour said as he got up from his chair. He walked over to the coat hangers by the door Fudge had just entered through, and picked his cloak up from one of the hooks.

Fudge glared at Scrimgeour, he was not some lowly errand boy or tag-along, but got up anyway to follow the Minister. He figured it wasn't worth arguing over. Shortly after, they were Floo-ing off to the office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister nearly jumped out of his chair at the whooshing sound coming from the fireplace. At the sight of two men dressed in robes and cloaks stepping out, he heaved a sigh. He had suspected them to drop by again sooner or later. He dreaded their arrival because usually this meant something important was happening.

"I have been wanting to contact you, Minister." The Prime Minister sighed. "But of course, I had no idea how to. I hope this is not what I think it is about..."

Scrimgeour nodded sadly and walked forward to grasp the other man's hand in short greeting. "Unfortunately, it is not a courtesy call, Prime Minister, no."

Fudge stayed by the fireplace and silently fumed at Scrimgeour's behaviour, this was not how you dealt with Muggles. They needed to know as little as possible, but still be given some sort of knowledge to keep them happy.

Scrimgeour let go of the Prime Minister's hand, and looked around the office. "Since you ask, you must know of the strange occurrences of late. I -" He was interrupted by Fudge clearing his throat a bit too noisily. He stared the portly, little man. "Do you need something to drink, Cornelius?"

When Fudge sighed and shook his head, Scrimgeour turned back to the Muggle in front of him. "What do you know about the Mug… villages that were attacked?"

The Prime Minister looked at the smaller man with a scowl. "All I know is that they were two relatively small villages rather a small distance away from each other. There were few survivors of the first incident and absolutely none of the second. Further than that, I know nothing." He paused. "I demand an explanation for both attacks. The people are getting restless and it's been hard to keep them under control while I have no knowledge of the incidents or whatsoever."

"There were survivors of the second attack." Fudge muttered.

"Cornelius, I may have asked you here for backup in case I needed it. But would you be so kind as to shut up?" Scrimgeour said, arching an eyebrow at the man. When the other man said nothing further, he turned once again to the Prime Minister. "Though, yes, Mr. Fudge was correct. There were survivors of the latter attack. However, perhaps not in the sense you would accept."

"Why didn't I hear anything about this?" The Prime Minister frowned. "And what do you mean? Not in the sense I would accept? Did they survive or not? It can't be much harder than that."

Scrimgeour sighed. "There were survivors, though they will never be able to live fully again as humans. The attack on the second village was carried out by Dementors, beings that suck out all happiness of their victims," he reached up to run a hand through his tawny and silver hair. "And if they are allowed, they will suck out a person's soul leaving a shell behind. The survivors may be alive, but they are soulless. We used to have Dementors as guards in Azkaban, a high security Wizarding prison, but not anymore."

An expression of absolute horror replaced the frown on the Prime Ministers face. He couldn't understand how those wizards could let those creatures live while they had such foul... habits. "Soulless?" He repeated weakly, "They will never be the same again?" His voice got louder with each word. "I can't simply understand why you don't simply kill or vanquish, or whatever, those creatures! Why didn't you just keep those things at Zakaban?"

"Azkaban." Fudge corrected.

"Azkaban, whatever!" The Prime Minister threw his hands up into the air. "Why don't you just control them or something? You can't just have them going around killing people!"

"We did keep them in Azkaban. They functioned as the guards and we were perfectly capable of controlling and keeping tabs on them as long as they were given nourishment." Scrimgeour said calmly. "Sadly, when the second war first began, Lord Voldemort -," he stopped for a moment as he waited for Fudge to stop wincing and whimpering. "- offered them something better," he said vaguely.

"Can't you just hunt them down and lock them up?" The Prime Minister asked. "So these Dementings were responsible for the second attack? And they acted on the order of this Voldemort person? What about the first incident? Who can be held responsible for that?"

"Lock them up?" Scrimgeour mused. "No, it is not possible, they cannot be defeated permanently, only driven back."

Fudge snorted, but didn't disagree. "There is only one way to make them go away and very few people can even do it to begin with."

Scrimgeour nodded. "True, Cornelius, quite true. Though our Aurors are, of course, trained in that specific spell. Lord Voldemort was the one to send the Dementors, yes. But it was he himself and his loyal followers that attacked the first village."

"And I am supposed to be content with the knowledge of who did it?" The Muggle Minister shook his head. "What about actions? Haven't your Aurors done anything at all? Why weren't they able to catch those murders?" He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, before hissing. "I'll tell you exactly why, Scrimgeour. Because there is no bloody communication between my world and yours! When people hear something suspicious, they will call the right authorities! But you lot probably don't even know how a telephone works!"

"We are doing all we can, every available Auror is doing what they can. But we just simply do not have enough information to go against Lord Voldemort without severe casualties." Scrimgeour tried to placate the Prime Minister, Muggles were a prissy sort he reasoned to himself. "We are at the verge of a war, and in wars you need information to know where to place a counter strike against the enemy. Otherwise it would do us no good."

"So you are simply telling me to sit in this bloody chair and wait?" He snorted. "If this Voldemort wasn't a threat to my world, I could even care less for what he might do to, but unfortunately, this is not the case. What are you going to do about this maniac? How many more villages does he have to wipe out before you will get a decent trail on him?"

"Sit back and wait? No, Prime Minister, that is not what I would like for you to do. I would ask you to send out a message to your country. If anyone notices something strange, then they must call a certain number and allow you to get the information. Of course they must also stay as far out of danger as they can, no heroics." Scrimgeour searched through the pockets of his robes and pulled out a small book. He handed it to the other man. "Now this may seem improbable, but it is quite possible. If you need to contact me, write in this book the information and I will get it."

He could hear Fudge letting out a strangled noise behind him. Scrimgeour ignored him though and kept explaining. "We came here tonight, not to cause dispute, but to tell you the truth as you deserve to know of this, since it does concern your country. Our country. Trust us, when we say that we are doing everything possible to track down Lord Voldemort and his followers."

The Prime Minister looked at the small book and turned it over in his hands. It seemed like a simple notebook. "I am not even going to ask for an explanation on this..." He muttered, more to himself than to the two wizards, before turning his gaze back to them. "What precisely do you expect me to say to the people? That a maniacal wizard is on the loose and killing people for fun?"

Fudge shrugged and muttered, "You'll think of something, Muggle."

Scrimgeour turned around and shot the portly man a glare. "Cornelius, please." Then he looked at the Muggle Minister again. "Unfortunately I cannot help with that, I do not know what it would take to make your people believe the severity of the case. Of course, you cannot say anything about magic or the sort."

"Like they would believe it anyway." The man mumbled. "I'll manage."

The two wizards nodded and bid their goodnights before leaving through the fireplace with that same, horrible whooshing sound again.


	7. 06 De Otacustibus et Parricidis

Title : Ars Virgarum – De Otacustibus et Parricidis  
Authors : DracoCrescendo & Nuin  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Wordcount : this chapter : 4604 - total wordcount : 34.107  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayet & Flosspyromaniac  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Otacustibus et Parricidis_ Of Spies and Snitches.

* * *

_**Chapter 6 : De Otacustibus et Parricidis **_

Frustrated, Draco sneaked back to the Slytherin common room. It had been several weeks since he had first returned to the castle and he felt if he had spent an eternity searching around the different floors for the bracelet. Of course, he had always known how big Hogwarts actually was, but he hadn't _realised_ its size until just now. It was already nearing November and it was noticeably getting colder. He spoke the password and entered the common room, rubbing his arms in an attempt to get a little bit warmer again. The castle never provided much warmth, but it was even worse down in the dungeons where even a single breeze would chills you to the bone during the winter months.

He had been clever enough to stay out of the hallways when they were crowded, lying low at his rented room at Hogsmeade during the day. Usually, he would sneak into the castle while the students and teacher would have dinner in the Great Hall. It gave him the opportunity to look around without anyone watching over his shoulder. From what his former housemates had told him, McGonagall had given the order for the students to return to their common rooms an hour after dinner at the latest. All he had to look out for were the Aurors that made rounds after dinner and past curfew; he had had a few close calls there.

It was already past midnight and the common room was deserted while the fire in the hearth was still burning. He stood in front of it for a few minutes, warming himself a little. He didn't fancy going back all the way to Hogsmeade when he was already half-frozen to death. With a sigh, Draco wondered if Pansy was still angry with him. He hadn't thought she would have taken things that hard. '_Apparently, I was wrong._' He thought to himself. Shaking his head and muttering something about foolish women, he pulled his cloak tighter around him, ready to leave the castle. His search had taken enough of his time tonight.

He was careful not to run into any Aurors, but Draco cursed when he turned the corner, tripped over something and almost literally fell onto someone anyway.

Pansy was walking around in a daze while listening to the now gentle voice in her mind. It was being rather well-mannered lately, but still continued to whisper and laugh at the least opportune times. She let her fingers trail the lines between the large stones that made up the walls of the hallway, she wandered through.

Pansy walked toward the Slytherin common room. It was close to midnight and she should have been in bed by now, but she had to take a walk to clear her mind… as much as it was possible with the voice crowding her every thought. She rounded a corner and stumbled into something warm and solid. Pansy took a few steps back and looked at what she had bumped into.

"Draco?"

"Shush." Draco whispered, rubbing his chin. "Pansy? What are you doing out here?"

She shrugged and said evasively. "Taking a walk before going to bed. What about you?" Pansy eyed his heavy winter cloak. "Not planning on running off without saying goodbye at least?"

"I can't really say goodbye if I didn't spot you in the common room, now can I?" He sneered.

"Draco, please." She muttered softly, her shoulder slumping. "I just… It was a joke all right? I mean, you wouldn't take off now without saying goodbye? I…" Pansy stopped talking when the voice piped up again, cackling at her obvious discomfort.

Slowly, her hand crept to the spot where the bracelet was covered by her white school shirt. Her fingers closed around the metal that felt cool through the fabric, even though her skin should have heated it up. Draco didn't reply immediately, but followed the movement of her hand to her wrist.

He frowned, reaching out to pull her hand away. "What do you have there, Pansy?"

Pansy jerked her arm away as Draco reached out to her. "N-nothing," she stammered. "Nothing that's any of your business."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "If it's nothing of importance, then you shouldn't have any problem with me taking a look at it. Come on, Pansy, don't be ridiculous." She pulled her arm further away and glared at him. "No!"

Draco growled under his breath and shoved her backwards, pinning her against the wall with his full weight. "You are such an insufferable twit sometimes." He muttered as he took a firm hold of her right arm, shoving her sleeve up. His eyes widened at the sight of a silver bracelet with a bronze eagle clasped on her wrist. "Pansy!" He stared at her in disbelief. "How long did you think you were going to keep _this_ from me?!"

Pansy gasped for breath as she was shoved against the wall, she wriggled and tried to get away when Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled up her shirt sleeve. "No." She whimpered. But when he began to talk again, she turned her gaze to his face and glared. "Why should I have told you? Its mine and it's none of your business. It's just a bracelet!"

Professor Caitlynn O'Hare sauntered through the hallways of the school, having just come from the library to check on something concerning her Potions class tomorrow, when she heard two voices coming from around the corner. She frowned. There shouldn't be any students out of bed at this hour. She quickened her pace and stopped to peer around the corner. As she couldn't see very well in the dark, she thought it might have been a couple snogging. But when she took a better look, she recognised the Malfoy boy pinning one of his former Slytherin housemates to the wall in a struggle. They were clearly not too happy and she decided to listen in for a bit, wondering what this display was all about.

"_That_ is not _just_ a bracelet, Pansy." Draco dangerously lowered his voice to a hiss. "_That_ is the bloody bracelet the Dark Lord wanted me to retrieve. Pansy, that bracelet _is_ my business."

Pansy's eyes widened. "No, it's mine…" Her free hand reached up to cover the bracelet when she heard the voice snicker and whisper to her, and her eyes glazed over for a moment. She could almost make out the words, almost.

"Pansy, it is not yours. It is the Dark Lord's and he wants it for some reason or another." He sighed. "Come on, Pansy, don't make me force you. Just give me the bracelet."

_"Don't give it to him, Pansy. He just wants to take it away from you, he just doesn't want me to talk to you. I'm your friend, the only one who understands you. Are you going to let him take me away from you? He doesn't care about you, Pansy, but _I_ do."_

Her eyes flickered back into focus and she started pushing at chest. "I can't!"

Then she shoved him away with one hard push and made a run for the common room, yelling the password and slipping through the entrance. Pansy ran all the way to her dormitory where she locked the door, and only then did she allow herself to slump to the ground, panting for breath.

Draco cursed loudly when she pushed him out of the way and made a run for it. He scowled and considered going after her, but of course, there was the possibility that one of the patrolling Aurors had heard her screaming and was now heading this way. He shouldn't take that risk. He rearranged his cloak and continued his way out of the castle to go back to Hogsmeade to retire for the remaining part of the night, unaware that two pairs of eyes had witnessed the entire scene.

* * *

"Mister Harry Potter, sir! Mister Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked as he pushed at Harry's shoulder in attempt to wake the lad up. "Mister Harry Potter must wake up now! Dobby must tell you things!" 

Harry was mumbling in his sleep and swatting at the annoying thing pushing at his arm, but the constant squeaking was slowly waking his from his peaceful sleep. With a groan, he turned onto his back, forcing his eyes open. He pushed himself up a little and reached for his glasses, blinking several times.

"Aaaagh!" He yelled, trying to jump back in surprise and knocking the back of his head into the headboard in the process. "Oww..." He rubbed at the painful spot, focusing his gaze on the cringing little house elf that sat on his stomach. "Dobby...?"

"Dobby very sorry, Mister Harry Potter, sir!" The elf squeaked, "But Dobby must tell you things!"

"Couldn't it wait until morning, Dobby?" Harry yawned. "It's the middle of the night."

"No, Dobby must not wait to tell Harry Potter!" The little creature protested.

"Alright, alright," Harry sighed. "Calm down, Dobby. Tell me what's going on that's so important."

"Dobby saw former young Master! Former young Master whom Harry Potter freed Dobby from!"

"What?" Harry blinked. "Who?"

"Former young Master Malfoy, Mister Harry Potter, sir!"

"So the Voldemort didn't kill the git after all..." Harry nodded, catching on, fully awake now. "Dobby, calm down. Where did you see him?"

"At Hogwarts, former young Master was at Hogwarts!"

"When was this, Dobby?"

"Tonight. Dobby saw him tonight! Dobby came here immediately to tell Harry Potter! Harry Potter must know!"

"Go on, Dobby. What was he doing at Hogwarts?" Harry nodded.

"Former young Master first was looking. Then was fighting with girl." The house elf frantically nodded. "Angry at girl."

"Girl?" Harry frowned, running a hand through his hair. "What girl? What did she look like, Dobby?"

"Dark." Dobby frowned and went quiet for a moment. "Dark hair. Former young Master said name, but Dobby forgot."

"Parkinson?" Harry asked, "Pansy Parkinson?"

"Yes! Pansy! Yes!" The elf bounced. "Former young Master said Pansy!"

"You did good, Dobby. This is very useful." Harry gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"Mister Harry Potter not angry at Dobby for waking up?"

"No, Dobby, that's alright. You did very good."

Dobby looked proud at himself for a moment. "Dobby must return to Hogwarts now." The creature nodded. "Goodbye, Mister Harry Potter, sir!"

And after that, it simply disappeared with a snap of its fingers and a small pop. Harry sat in darkness for a while, thinking. He put his glasses aside again, deciding to owl Ron and Hermione first thing in the morning. What was Malfoy doing at Hogwarts? What was he up to? Did Voldemort give him a new assignment? Those were the last thoughts going through his mind before he drifted back off to sleep.

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange stepped through the Floo at one of the lesser known fireplaces in Malfoy manor. She dusted off the ashes with a grimace, then quickly cast a glance out the large windows to see if anyone had noticed her arrival. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she walked out of the room and down the hallway. Bellatrix ignored the portraits' greetings as she passed them on the way to the main sitting room. She entered the room and sat down on one of the sofa's , tapping her fingers against her elbows as she crossed her arms. Grumbling when she was still alone, she cast a Sonorus charm and yelled. "NARCISSA!" 

Narcissa grimaced at the shrieking sound coming from downstairs. She had been wanting to take a nice, hot bath, but of course, someone had to just show up announced and ruin it. '_Bloody sister_.' She thought to herself with a sigh, putting on a bathrobe before going to the main sitting room.

"I was in the bathroom." She coolly said as she leaned against the doorframe. "What is so important that it couldn't wait?"

Bellatrix arched an eyebrow. "Is that any way to treat a guest?" She didn't get up from her seat, but lounged against it more comfortably instead. "Besides, I got bored with waiting."

"At this moment, you are an unexpected and rather unwanted guest." Narcissa snorted. "What do you want, Bella?"

"Unwanted? Dearest sister, is that how you think of me?" She put on a mock-hurt expression. "Oh, I just thought you might want to hear a bit about that darling brat of yours." Bellatrix waved a hand around, looking bored.

"If I fancied your company, I would have asked for it, but I didn't." When Bellatrix brought up Draco, Narcissa's eyes narrowed. "What about him?"

Rolling her eyes, Bellatrix ignored her sister's answer, but smirked when Narcissa jumped at the chance news about the brat. "He is trying to redeem himself and return to the Dark Lord's good graces. So he's been given another chance to prove himself." '_Not that he deserved it._' She thought disdainfully.

"Oh." Narcissa calmed herself, but trying not to look too relaxed. She knew her older sister got a kick out of frightening people. "Well, good for him."

She had absolutely no intention of letting Bellatrix know she already knew about Draco's new assignment. Bella hated Snape and Narcissa wouldn't take the risk of putting him in danger. Last year, they made that Unbreakable Vow with Bella as a witness and she felt that Draco - and herself - would have need for him this time, too, even if it was just for support.

Bellatrix sneered when Narcissa seemed to take the news rather well. Last year, she would have been in tears at the thought of her precious baby boy being sent on a mission. She had even went as far as to get Snape of all people to help her. "Right now, he is back at Hogwarts looking for something of great importance to our Lord. He had better not mess up again, it will be his last chance." Her smirk returned.

"Draco will not fail." Narcissa stubbornly said.

"I would hope so… for his sake," Bellatrix said with a snort. She couldn't really care less about the brat, he was a waste of space and magic. "Since he didn't do so well on his last mission. And it would be best for him not to get caught by the Aurors that are patrolling Hogwarts grounds."

"Draco is not an idiot. He'll find a way to get past them and to find whatever he's supposed to look for." Narcissa plucked at her hair, haughtily looking at her sister. "He _did_ manage to get the Death Eaters within Hogwarts castle, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did, I must admit." Bellatrix shrugged. "But that was the only thing he managed to do correctly."

"I'm sure the Dark Lord punished him accordingly." She sniffed. She appeared to be calm and tried not to be too disgusted by the idea of that maniac holding Draco under the Crucriatus curse for Merlin knows how long. "Since Draco has received a second chance, the Dark Lord must think he has potential at least."

She grinned nastily. "Oh, our Lord punished him accordingly, to the point of getting bored." She remembered with fondness being told of that particular meeting . Then she snorted. "Potential, or simply because he was available."

"If it was only about availability, he could have asked any other Death Eater, that newt-brained husband of yours included." Narcissa coldly replied, "But he chose Draco for the task. I am sure whatever Draco is supposed to find, is important to the Dark Lord."

Gnashing her teeth, Bellatrix sneered, but couldn't come up with any retort. '_How dare she insult Rodolphus!_' She inwardly seethed.

Narcissa cocked an eyebrow at her, her lips curling into a sneer as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Usually, she wasn't one to insult people. She thought she stood above that, but sometimes, you just had to show older siblings what you are made of. They were not children anymore and it was time Bella stopped treating her like one.

Composing herself, Bellatrix set her face in a scathing scowl. "Though speaking of husbands. Let's hope that your son does not take that much after his father. It would be a… pity."

"He does not." She sneered. "I assure you."

Now, that was just plain bluff. Narcissa hoped Bella would buy it. She never had any trouble keeping a straight face, because whatever insult she threw, she actually meant. But this was a little bit different. She was defending her only son and she was assuring her oldest sister that he was better than Lucius. Time would only tell, but she didn't have a choice.

"Really?" She arched an eyebrow. "Well, look on the bright side. If he fails, you don't have to worry about him being locked up in Azkaban. Our Lord would never let him get that far." Bellatrix smirked.

"It will not come to that, Bella." Narcissa glared. "Draco _will_ succeed and he _will_ earn our Lord's respect." '_Without having to be his whore like you are._' She mentally added.

"Hmm, perhaps. Though if he needs _Snape's_ help again…" Bellatrix let the words hang. "I hope you haven't contacted that git again," she sneered. "Snape is already in enough trouble as it is. It would be disastrous for him to interfere again." Though she hoped that he would, it would be rather fun if she got to punish the greasy haired bastard.

"He will not need to. Draco will manage just fine."

Bellatrix shrugged and smirked. "If you say so."

"Don't you have some Muggles to torture?" Narcissa snorted and turned her back on Bella, starting to walk away. "Get out of my house, Bella. You are no longer wanted here."

"Tsh." She snorted and got up from the sofa, then patted the top of Narcissa's head as she passed her. "Goodbye, Cissy. May your son have more luck this time." Bellatrix laughed and walked out of the room heading for the fireplace she had come in through in the first place.

Narcissa froze on her way up the stairs. She bent down and leaned her forehead against the cool, marble stone of the rail. She was glad Bella couldn't see her anymore and she let out a deep sigh. Her sister wouldn't lie when it came to the Dark Lord's orders and punishments and that was exactly what scared the wits out of her. Heading back to the bathroom, she shed the robe she had been wearing and dropped it somewhere on the floor for the house elves to pick it up. She tried to relax when she stepped into the water, but she found that she couldn't. Worry crept into her mind and she sat in the tub for a long time, thinking, as the water cooled down.

* * *

The following morning, Ron was snuggling in the covers of his bed, when a hand landed on his shoulder and shook him roughly. 

"Ronald! Get up! You got an owl from Harry, now get up!" Molly Weasley snapped and shook him again.

Ron blinked groggily and rolled over to get further away from the evil hand that was interrupting his sleep. He mumbled something about baby fishes taking over the world.

Molly Weasley sighed and placed her hands on her hips. With a scowl she took a hold of the bright orange Chudley Cannons covers and pulled them off him. She then grabbed onto Ron's upper arms and tugged him out of his bed. "Get up now, young man." The Weasley matriarch left her youngest son standing on the floor and thrust a bunch of clothes into his arms. "Get dressed and get going." She turned around and walked out of the room.

Ron yawned and began to dress, still not fully awake. When he was finally dressed after several failed tried to get his shirt correctly on, he stumbled down the stairs. He was met by his mother, who handed him a handful of Floo powder and shoved him towards the fireplace. A few moments later, he disappeared in a flash of green flames.

Harry let out a yawn as he sat at the kitchen table, munching on a piece of toast. He had sent owls to both Ron and Hermione the first thing he had woken up. Hermione had told him she'd be over soon, but he hadn't heard back from Ron yet. At the sound of someone Floo-ing in, Harry popped the last bit of toast in his mouth and sauntered over to the hallway, running a hand through his hair. He expected Hermione to come out of the fireplace, but instead it was Ron. Harry frowned.

"I didn't expect to see you first, mate." He grinned. "I thought you'd owl back at least."

Ron scratched the back of his head and looked at Harry, still feeling a bit groggy. "Wasn't really time, mate." He yawned. "Mum woke me up a few minutes ago and told me to get dressed."

Harry blinked and burst out laughing. "Your mum? Seriously?" He patted Ron's shoulder in sympathy. "Well, I suppose you could use some breakfast then. Come on." Harry went back to the kitchen and poured the both of them a cup of tea. "There's still toast left, if you like."

"You're a life saver, Harry." Ron smiled and gratefully took the offered cup of tea. Then he vigorously tore into the piece of toast.

"You're welcome, mate. I hope Hermione will be here shortly, too." He heaved a sigh.

Ron nodded, and took another piece of toast. "What was in the owl anyway? Didn't get much of a chance to read it."

"Simply to meet me at Grimmauld Place as soon as possible. I've got something to tell you two and..." Harry was interrupted by the familiar sound of the Floo network sending someone through the fireplace. "Hang on, Ron, I think Hermione's here." He got up to meet her in the hall.

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace, shedding his cloak and hanging it on the coat rack. She smiled at Harry and hugged him in greeting.

"What is so important, Harry?" Hermione asked. "I came here as fast as I could."

Harry gestured at her to follow him back to the kitchen where Ron was still munching on toast. "You want tea, Hermione?"

"Please." She nodded. "It's rather chilly outside."

Looking up from his cup of tea, Ron smiled at Hermione as she entered the kitchen with Harry. "Morning, Hermione." He turned to look at Harry. "So what was it you wanted to tell us?" Ron tilted his head to one side in question.

Harry sat himself down again and took a sip of his own tea. He heaved a sigh. "Dobby dropped by last night."

"Dobby?" Hermione frowned. "What did he want in the middle of the night?"

"That house elf is crazy." Ron muttered and shook his head. "Ruining a perfect good night's sleep."

"Actually," Harry looked between the two of them, "Dobby told me something very interesting. It seems that Malfoy's been sneaking around Hogwarts."

"Malfoy?" Hermione frowned. "You think Voldemort sent him back?"

"I think Malfoy is supposed to _look_ for something..."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Harry?"

"Possibly."

"Malfoy." Ron growled. "The pasty bastard is back at Hogwarts?" He blinked as he looked back and forth between them. "It's creepy when you two do that, you know. And I don't know what either of you are thinking."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Ronald, sometimes I think you were last in line when they were handing out the brains."

"Whatever Malfoy's looking for might or might not be a hocrux. If Voldemort has given the order to look for an object, it might just as well be." Harry explained.

"But we have no idea what kind of object Malfoy is looking for." Hermione sighed.

"True." Harry agreed. "And it seems Malfoy and Parkinson aren't exactly on good terms with each other right now." He grinned a little.

Ron scoffed and glared at Hermione. Sipping his tea petulantly, he turned to Harry. "Do you really think You-Know-Who would hide a Horcrux at Hogwarts? Under the teachers' noses?"

"Hogwarts was an important place to Voldemort." Harry nodded. "It was there that he learnt about the Horcruxes and how to create them. It was there that he started calling himself Lord Voldemort, where he gathered his first followers. If there's one hidden at Hogwarts, then Malfoy is looking for it."

"Harry's right." Hermione sighed. "But Hogwarts castle is big. It could take months to find it."

"Which gives us some time to think up a plan." Harry replied.

Putting down his cup of tea, Ron nodded in agreement. "We need to keep an eye on Malfoy then. So that the moment he finds something, we can deal with it?" He offered. "Hey, maybe Professor Lupin could do it when he's at the school?"

Hermione nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Professor Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley should be able to handle that, right?"

"Yeah." Harry finished his cup. "I'll owl them later. I'm sure they wouldn't mind giving us a hand."

* * *

Carrow kneeled down on the stone floor, head held low, muttering a quiet 'My Lord' in greeting. She patiently waited for the Dark Lord to come closer and address her. 

"Stand up." He commanded.

She obeyed and while she kept her eyes trained on the floor, she noticed the long form of Nagini slither its way across the dirty tiles. She swallowed. She had never liked snakes very much.

"Have there been any problems regarding your identity as Professor O'Hare?" Voldemort asked. "Has anyone noticed something?"

"No, my Lord." She shook her head. "The others teachers act completely normal around me, and not even the Aurors have shot me a suspicious look. Everything seems to be going according to plan."

"Silence, Carrow." He barked. "I will decide if everything is going according to plan or not."

She cowered. "Yes, my Lord."

"Have you been able to spot the Malfoy boy around the castle yet?"

"Yes, my Lord. In fact, I just saw him fighting with one of his previous housemates last night." She nodded, brave enough to look up a little.

"Well, done, Carrow." He smirked, then frowned. "Fighting, you say? With whom?"

"Pansy Parkinson, my Lord."

"About what exactly?"

Carrow hesitated for a moment. "It seems that Parkinson is wearing the bracelet you ordered Malfoy to look for. She didn't want to remove it last night. That was what the ruckus was all about, my Lord. I doubt she will take it off voluntarily."

Voldemort appeared to be thinking for a few minutes. If the Parkinson girl was wearing the bracelet, then the Malfoy boy wouldn't be able to bring it back to him. That would mean he would not be able to fulfil his assignment and that he would have to be eliminated. But on the other hand, he _did_ manage to locate it. The situation could go either way. The Parkinson girl could pose to be a problem, but she could also mean a serious advantage on Voldemort's part.

"Is there something I have to do, my Lord?" Carrow quietly asked. "Should I make her disappear and get my hands on the bracelet?"

"No, you will not do anything else but keep an eye on the girl. And on the Malfoy boy. If something interesting comes up, you contact me. I will tell you what to do. Everything in due time, Carrow, everything in due time." Voldemort smirked.


	8. 07 De Regimine et Progressu

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Regimine et Progressu  
Authors : DracoCrescendo & Nuin  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Wordcount : this chapter : 4962 - total wordcount : 29.964  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : Essayet & Flosspyromaniac  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ Art of the Wands; _De Regimine et Progressu _ Of Control and Progress

* * *

_**Chapter 7 : De Regimine et Progressu**_

_"Things haven't changed much in the Slytherin dungeons, I see."_

Pansy looked around wildly in the empty room as she sat on her bed, curled into a small huddle under the covers. Her dorm mates had already left for breakfast earlier that morning but she had steadfastly refused to leave the room. She didn't want to run into Draco again in case he tried to take the bracelet away from her once more. He had been following her quite a lot lately, and where she once would have adored the attention, she was now annoyed and frightened. Even though he hadn't tried anything since the night he discovered that she was wearing the bracelet, she didn't think he would actually stop trying. Draco was just waiting for the right moment. But she wouldn't let the bracelet go without a fight.

_"That's right, the bracelet isn't his. It's yours, isn't it?"_

Slowly she nodded, agreeing with the voice. Pansy drew the covers of her bed up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her knees. The voice had finally become distinguishable to her. Though, it had been a few weeks since it had last spoken to her, and that had been when Draco tried to take it away from her.

_"He only wants it for himself."_

"Yes," she muttered. "He can't have it, it's mine."

_"Good girl. Keep the bracelet."_ The voice praised with an almost sibilant hiss toward the end.

"Get out of my head." Pansy whimpered suddenly, she didn't really want the voice to continue, she just wanted some peace and quiet. But she did agree with the voice, she should keep the bracelet. She had found it, not Draco. It was hers, not Draco's.

_"Now, now, is that any way to talk to an old friend?"_

"Old friend?" She asked softly. "I don't even know you. How could you be my friend?" Then she shook her head. The voice had been a constant for almost two months. It had been there at every step she took, laughing, whispering and cackling at her.

_"Of course you do. I'm Tom, Pansy. I'm your friend." _The voice, Tom, said a bit patronizingly as if it was speaking to a small child.

"My friend? Your name is Tom?" Pansy muttered as her eyes began to glaze over. She let herself fall back onto the mattress and stared up at the canopy.

_"Yes. Tom." _Tom repeated._ "Now be a good girl and get some rest, wouldn't want you to fall asleep in the middle of class. I will wake you up in time for your first lesson" _

"Thank you." She yawned, not noticing the subtle green mist that seeped out from the eyes of the bronze eagle on the bracelet. The green fog wrapped itself around her as she slept, seeping into the pores of her skin and further into her body. Sibilant laughter echoed in the room.

* * *

Harry sat behind the desk in the library, a thick book under his nose. It was a book on ancient spells and he was mostly looking at the pictures because the language it was written in was French. Needless to say, Harry didn't know 'le' from 'la' and 'cheveux' from 'chevaux', so it was kind of hard for him to figure out what had been written down in it. He looked at Hermione over the edge of his book and sighed. She was sitting in one of the armchairs with Regulus' diary in her lap. The only thing that moved were her eyes scanning the words and her fingers turning the pages.

Harry wanted to ask if she had found anything yet. He had been quite curious to see what Sirius' younger brother had written in it, but he figured Hermione would let him know if she came across something interesting. Instead, Harry thought about Ron, who had been called back to the Burrow a few hours ago. Ron hadn't exactly wanted to go back, but Molly had demanded he had come and help doing the dishes. He had Floo-ed off, tail between his legs, leaving Hermione and Harry by themselves.

They hadn't found anything better to do than return to the library to do some more research. Harry had never realised how much books there had been stored on those shelves and right now, he could even care less, wishing they had soon seen every book in that room. He was about to turn back to his lovely French spell book with pictures when Hermione spoke up.

"Hey, Harry, I think I might have found something." She looked up at him. "The diary dates back to Regulus' years at Hogwarts and after that, there's a empty period of several months. Sirius was right about his younger brother, however, Regulus never had what it took to be a Death Eater."

"But he was Marked, wasn't he?" Harry frowned.

"Yes, yes, of course." Hermione quickly said. "He writes about it in his journal, too. But that's not the point. Soon after he has actually received the Dark Mark, he is already talking about the mistake he has made. It seems like he wanted to be a Death Eater, but just couldn't."

"I remember Sirius telling me something like that..." Harry mumbled, thinking. "I believe he said something about his parents both supporting Voldemort's ideas of pure-blood superiority, but they never bore the Dark Mark themselves."

"Maybe Regulus wanted to be the perfect little son for them?"

"Could be." Harry mused. "But he backed out after all."

"Listen, Harry. I think this might interest you." Hermione shut him up. "January 1980. Today, I accidentally overheard Him talking about something called horcruxes. I was not able to understand what they were and at home, I didn't receive much of an answer either. I am sure that these horcruxes cannot be something good. Honestly, I am frightened to find out about their meaning or magical purposes. With our Master, you never know. I am not so sure anymore if I made the right decision after all."

She stopped and look back at him. Harry nodded. "So that's when he found out. Could you check the last date he has written in that journal?"

Hermione turned to the last written page and squinted at the date. "It's quite unreadable, Harry, but I think it's because it was written in a hurry. I think it's sometime in May of the same year."

"Can you read what it says?" Harry asked.

"Not really. It will take me some time to puzzle that scribbling together, but I'm sure I can manage if you give me a few hours." She gave a small smile.

"Alright," Harry nodded, "I'd like to know what else is in that last part. Maybe there's something useful in it about horcruxes."

Hermione nodded and while she went to retrieve a quill and a piece of parchment, Harry dug back into the thick book before him.

* * *

"No, no, my dear. The sign up sheets for the elective classes would be in the second drawer on the left."

"Albus," Minerva McGonagall snapped as she walked over and picked up the papers from one of the many bookshelves. "Could you please shut up? I know where the papers are, I put them on the right shelf just last week."

"You moved it? But Minerva, I always kept those pages in the second drawer on the left."

McGonagall stared at the old man in the portrait. Was he acting like a little child? He certainly looked like one with that pout on his lips. Sighing, McGonagall rubbed her temples and walked closer to the portrait of her old and dearest friend. "Albus, I am keeping the office the way I find it easiest to. This way, I will know where everything is."

Albus Dumbledore, defeater of Grindelwald, sulked in his frame. "If only I would be able to acquire some sherbet lemons." He sighed wistfully.

"Didn't you get some from one of the other portraits?" McGonagall asked as she sat down behind her desk, looking through the papers.

He mumbled something, and she frowned. Putting down the stack of papers, McGonagall turned her head and watched the portrait. Albus was decisively being petulant, it wasn't something she had thought she would ever see on him. Benevolent, grandfatherly, strict, angry, furious, sad or understanding, all these expressions had she seen on him over the years. But sulking like a child was not one of them. Perhaps it was a trait he had hidden from her, since the weight of being Headmaster and a beacon of light in the Wizarding World had been placed on his shoulders. If so, his death - she still shuddered every time she thought about that particular event - would have lifted the weight and freed this emotion, allowing him to behave in such a way.

"What was that?"

"They did not taste as well as the real thing." Dumbledore said softly, a sad look in his eyes. "To think that I must spend eternity in this frame, and not have my sherbet lemons."

She sighed and fought the urge to pull at her hair. Albus might have been one of her dearest friends, but in life as well as in death, apparently, he had the ability to drive her to the edge or reason with his obsession with his sweets. "Really, Albus." She muttered.

Suddenly, he tilted his head to the side as if he was listening to something McGonagall couldn't hear. Something which perhaps only portraits were able to hear.

"Albus?" McGonagall asked.

"Something is happening, my dear. Something that will lead another innocent soul to the darkness." The white haired man said solemnly in his frame, the twinkle was gone from his eyes. Instead a seriousness, which one often wouldn't associate with him, gleamed at her. "Keep a watchful eye on the children, Minerva. Keep them safe. Remember, my dear, at Hogwarts the walls do have ears."

* * *

Professor O'Hare kept a close eye on her students as they brewed the required potion of today's lesson. Her mind kept wandering to the last meeting with the Dark Lord. She wondered why he had asked her to keep an eye on the Parkinson girl. She could have just taken the bracelet away from her. She was a teacher, she could easily say that the proximity of silver could have strange effects on the potion they were brewing. But no, Lord Voldemort had simply ordered her to keep an eye on both the girl and the Malfoy boy. She suspected Him to have other plans for the two teens then. She probably shouldn't think too much on it. Thinking tended to get you injured when you were part of His inner circle.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Pansy sitting at her desk. She was cutting up some black beetles with one of the daggers, deeply bent over her tabletop in concentration. She hadn't noticed anything strange about her yet. She uncrossed her arms and started walking between the desks, peering over the students' shoulders to make sure they wouldn't make the classroom explode. There had been some incidents with the first years during the first week of the term.

She hadn't expected anything else, but she had hoped that at least _some_ students might be smarter than they appeared to be. '_Typically, that I have to deal with moronic children._' She inwardly sighed. At least, the seventh years seemed to be doing alright. There were only a few in the Potions N.E.W.T. Class and O'Hare was glad for that. Not a single Hufflepuff, three Ravenclaws, two Gryffindors and three Slytherins. That wasn't too bad, considering that half of the student body hadn't returned to the school this year because of last year's events.

While checking up on their assignments, O'Hare passed Pansy's table, frowning when she heard Pansy mutter under her breath. She cast a subtle glance over her shoulder and noticed the silver bracelet firmly clasped around the girl's wrist. Was she talking to it? She thought that she was either mistaken, or Pansy must have been completely out of her mind. She hadn't noticed her doing that before, or maybe she just hadn't seen it. Would this be interesting enough to report to her Master? She probably should, just in case.

She walked back to her own desk and started to write a short owl.

"_My Lord,_

_The Parkinson girl has been talking to her bracelet._

_C.C._

She folded the parchment and slipped it into an envelope, sealing it with a simple spell.

"I will be right back." She told her students, who all looked up in confusion. "When I come back, I don't want to see this class having being turned into a mess. If I do, you will all be serving detention with me for the rest of the week. I still have some potion ingredients that need cutting and cleaning, so you have been warned."

She left for the owlery, hurrying slightly. She might have warned the students but Merlin knew what those hooligans could do to her classroom. It wasn't too hard to find a willing owl up in the tower. She quickly tied the letter to its leg and sent it off. She wondered if she should wait for a reply, but then decided against it. She had no idea how long it would take to get a reply and in the meanwhile, she had a class to teach. She made her way back to the dungeons. As she entered her classroom, everything still seemed to be alright. The students were still quietly working on their potions and notes and she nodded, content.

She sat down behind her desk and pulled out a stack of essays written by the fourth years. She could just as well mark these in the mean time. She was about one third into the stack when suddenly an owl flew in through the door. Apparently, she had forgotten to close it. O'Hare waited for the owl to settle down on her desk, before taking the scroll off its leg. She unrolled it and scanned the short reply.

"_Excellent. Bring her to me tonight."_

She gestured that the bird could take off, as she didn't have to reply. She flicked her wand and the note went up in smoke. O'Hare snuck a glance at Pansy. The girl still seemed to be immersed in her task and when O'Hare looked close enough, she could still see Pansy's lips moving. '_I wonder what my Lord finds so excellent about a girl talking to her bracelet._' She mused. '_I'll find out tonight._'

She took another piece of parchment, writing a note for Pansy, before getting up and starting to walk between the desks again. "Your potions should be almost ready now. Finish up, bottle your assignment, label the vial and put it, together with your notes, on my desk." She coolly said, passing by Pansy's desk. She slipped the piece of parchment between the girl's book, gaining a slight frown from her. O'Hare walked on by, acting like nothing happened. Pansy unfolded the note, frowning.

"_Meet me in the potions classroom at midnight, precise."_

Pansy didn't know what to do about the note. Should she go? Why would her teacher even want to see her at such an late hour? She looked at the note again and fiddled with a lock of hair. Putting the piece of paper back in between the pages of her book, Pansy got up from her seat and exited the classroom. She walked down the hallway toward the Great Hall to join the other students for lunch. Her thoughts were still circling around the strange note, when Tom decided to add his opinion. He had been helping her during her classes as he had stated that her education was important, knowledge was something she needed. And knowledge was something that he had.

"_What is the matter, Pansy?_" Tom asked.

Pansy was barely shocked anymore when he started talking after a while of perfect silence, so used to fact that Tom would talk to her whenever he wanted. "My teacher slipped me a note. She wants me to meet her tonight at midnight."

"_And what is the problem?_"

"Tom, I don't know if I should go. Why does she even want to meet me at midnight for?" She shook her head, it didn't make sense.

"_If you want to find out, you should go, Pansy. I will be there with you, all the time._" He said soothingly.

"But -" Pansy started to protest, she didn't feel quite at ease with meeting up with a teacher at that particular hour.

"_Has your teacher given you any cause for alarm? Or any reason not to trust her?_" Tom interrupted.

"Umm, no. She hasn't." She entered the Great Hall and sat down by her house table next to Millicent. Pansy reached for a bread roll and bit into it. "Professor O'Hare hasn't done anything. But it still doesn't answer why I have to see her."

"_Then go. Find out what she wants."_ Tom whispered. _"It is the only way to know. Knowledge is power, Pansy._"

Pansy nodded. "Yeah." She mumbled. "I'll do it."

* * *

Harry pushed the door open and slipped into the welcoming warmth of the Three Broomsticks. He had owled Tonks and Remus to meet him here. He rubbed his hands, looking around the room. At the wave of a pink-haired woman, he grinned and walked over to the booth the couple was sitting in.

"Bloody cold, isn't it?" Tonks smiled.

"Yeah, it is." Harry sat himself down next to Tonks, ordering a butter beer, "You two managed to get away?"

"It's fine, Harry." Remus softly said, "Two others are keeping an eye out for trouble at the castle. They're experienced Aurors, they'll manage."

"What is it you wanted to talk to us about?" Tonks asked.

Harry gave Rosmerta a thankful nod when she brought his butter beer, taking a sip, before answering. "I need you two to do me a favour." He sighed. "Dobby paid me a visit the other night. It seems that Malfoy's been sneaking around the castle."

"Malfoy?" Remus frowned. "As in Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"Should we arrest him?" Tonks looked at Remus.

"I would rather have you not arrest him." Harry spoke, before Remus had the chance. "He's looking for something. I don't know what he's looking for, to be honest, but Hermione, Ron and I think he might be searching on Voldemort's orders."

"He has to be." Remus nodded. "After last year's events, I see no other reason why Malfoy would willingly return to Hogwarts. I wouldn't, if I were him."

"Neither would I." Tonks added. "He would have to be insane to return voluntarily."

"Exactly." Harry sighed. "So whatever he might he is looking for could be of importance to Voldemort."

"You think Voldemort has sent Malfoy to Hogwarts to find one of his horcruxes?" Remus frowned, "But why would he do that? Hogwarts is a big place, Harry. What are the odds that someone would find a horcrux by accident?"

"I know," Harry nodded, "But Voldemort also ordered Dumbledore to be murdered."

"Harry, Voldemort has been waiting for a long time to get that chance. Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort truly feared." Remus shook his head. "That doesn't mean he has a horcrux hidden within Hogwarts' walls."

"Think of it." Harry continued. "Dumbledore is gone now. People are afraid and many students haven't returned this year. Hermione told me half of the castle is empty. If he _had_ hidden a horcrux at the school, this would be an excellent time to retrieve it, before we start looking for it. If he would be able to relocate it, then we could just keep searching forever. Every time, we would get close to finding it, he could hide it somewhere else."

"He has a point, Remus." Tonks looked back at him. "If Voldemort gets his hands on that horcrux, this search could go on for several more years. I am sure he knows that Harry hasn't returned to school this year, and it wouldn't take him long time to figure out why."

Harry nodded and looked between her and Remus, who appeared to be pondering. They were silent for a few minutes, Harry quietly sipping his drink.

"Suppose you're right." Remus gave in. "What would you like for us to do?"

"I would like you two to keep an eye on Malfoy." Harry said.

"That's it?" Tonks cocked an eyebrow.

"And his progress. According to Dobby, Malfoy has been fighting with Parkinson about something, maybe she's on it, too."

Tonks nodded in understanding. "You want us to let you know when he finds something?"

"Or Parkinson for that matter." Harry nodded.

"We'll keep a close eye on both of them." Remus nodded, before looking at Tonks. "We could put up Stealth Sensoring spells."

She nodded in agreement, before turning back to Harry. "We'll make work of it and we'll be sure to owl you if we - or rather Malfoy and Parkinson - come up with something."

"Thanks." Harry nodded, finished his butter beer and put some money on the table. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to get back now. Hermione probably still has her nose tucked in some book."

He got out of the booth, exchanging goodbyes, before he turned to leave.

* * *

Pain burned through his veins as the Dark Mark flared to life. Severus clenched his hand around his arm right above the mark, trying to stand the pain. The Dark Lord was calling him. He gnashed his teeth and got up from the chair by the fireplace in the living room. Stalking out of the room, he grabbed his cloak and wrapped it around his shoulders. He had to hurry, the Dark Lord did not like to wait.

He exited the house and walked down the road, ducking into one of the small alleys when he saw the opportunity to without being noticed. Severus Apparated as close as possible and walked the rest of the way to Riddle Manor. The wards allowed him to enter and he went through the hallway until he came to the room where the Dark Lord was waiting for him.

Opening the door, Severus strode inside and immediately kneeled, his hands resting on the floor and his head bent. "You called, My Lord?"

Voldemort was sitting in his high-back chair, facing the window, watching the sun setting outside. Nagini's head was perched in his lap, lazily being petted.

"Indeed, I did, Severus." Voldemort coldly replied. "Rise."

He did as he was told, but still kept his head low. Severus stared at the floor, though he listened closely for anything which could tell him what would happen. Voldemort rose from his spot by the window and walked closer to Severus, while Nagini hissed, clearly not content about her petting being interrupted.

"Draco Malfoy failed his assignment." He spoke.

Severus swallowed, he had known this would happen eventually. But even so, he wasn't prepared for it, instead he simply nodded. He doubted that he would ever be prepared for any meeting with the Dark Lord. "He did, my Lord." He muttered.

"You fulfilled it for him, Severus. Is there any specific reason why you did?" Voldemort's eyes narrowed, starting to reach for his wand.

"He was wavering, my Lord. The old man was getting to him." Severus said in a hushed voice. "At the time, I doubted that he would have the conviction to fulfil his mission." Still keeping his head low, he studied the hem of the Dark Lord's robes instead of watching the floor. "As Dumbledore was weakened and cornered, I opted to finish Draco Malfoy's mission if he could not do so himself. It was too opportune a chance to let it get away."

"In the end, Dumbledore does remain dead and buried." Voldemort smirked. "And Dumbledore has always remained a meddling fool, so maybe it was for the best that you stepped in. I had hoped he would have put up more of a fight, however."

Severus stopped breathing for a moment, something was wrong. Usually the Dark Lord would not let anyone get away with interfering with his orders. He had expected to be punished for what he had done, no matter what the outcome had been in the end.

"Yes, my Lord," he murmured. "And the Malfoy boy did manage to give the Death Eaters entrance to the castle."

"That he did." Voldemort crossed his arms in front of his chest. "But he failed in the end. He has been punished for his failure and he will not risk to fail again without facing the consequences. This also goes for you, Severus." He dangerously lowered his voice. "If you even dare to interfere this time, Draco's parents will be killed, no matter whether Draco fails or succeeds. The boy has yet to prove himself. If you step in, you will be facing the same fate as his parents. Is that understood, Severus?"

The coldness and severity of the Dark Lord's voice chilled Severus to the bones. Nodding curtly, he answered. "Yes, my Lord."

"Good, I thought you would. Leave, Severus." He gave a dismissive wave with his hand, before returning to his chair.

Severus was frozen for a moment, not understanding that he was getting away unharmed. Quickly, he bowed low to the seated figure, then left the room and the manor. He would need to speak with Narcissa about this development. Surely, she could no longer stay in Britain, it was simply too dangerous for her. When he passed through the wards he Apparated home to use his fireplace to Floo to Malfoy manor. There was no telling who might be watching outside of the manor grounds, so it would be safer to travel directly to the inside of the manor itself.

Narcissa was seated on the sofa in the sitting room, a book in her lap, but she couldn't bring herself to concentrate on the story as her mind kept wandering back to Draco. She hadn't heard from him. Not a single time. She was worried. Where was he now? Was he alright? Was he afraid? The last thing she had heard about him, was that he had received a second chance to prove himself to the Dark Lord. At the sound of someone Floo-ing in, she jerked her head up with a frown, wondering who that could be.

Stepping out of the fireplace, Severus brushed the soot off his black robes as he looked around. "Narcissa? Are you here?" He called out, and began to walk out of the room he had Floo-ed into.

Narcissa put the book aside and got up, hurrying into the hallway. "Severus?" She called back, still frowning.

Severus stopped in the middle of the hallways as Narcissa came to greet him. "Narcissa. Good, you're here. Now you have to leave." He said and walked past her to the sitting room.

"Severus, what's going on?" Narcissa began. "It's not like you to come over unannounced..." She blinked, his words sinking in. "Wait... What?" She asked in disbelief, turning around and following him. "Why?"

"It is no longer safe for you here. You know of Draco's mission, but do you know of the consequences, should he fail again?" Severus walked over to one of the windows and looked out at the grounds, wondering if anyone was watching them right now.

Narcissa frowned. "No...?"

He sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest he continued to stare out at the grounds. "Your life… and your husband's. And, of course, Draco's own. That is the price of his failure."

She paled. "Severus, he cannot fail. He simply can't fail again." She huskily whispered. "I do not care so much about my life, but he cannot let the Dark Lord kill him. He is too young."

Severus focused his eyes on Narcissa's reflection the window for a few seconds, then turned around. "Narcissa, I do believe Draco would be able to fulfil his mission to the Dark Lord's satisfaction if he knew you were safe." He looked at her pale face. "That is why you must leave."

"Severus... I can't just leave." She weakly protested. "What if something happens to him? He's my _son_. I can't just leave him behind."

He sighed and walked closer to her. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he looked her in the eyes. "Narcissa, if you were in his place, what would you rather have? Draco to be here, in danger? Or to be safe somewhere else? I will be here to keep an eye on him."

"I know, Severus." She sighed. "But still..." She ran a hand through her hair, forcing her tears back. She would not cry, not this time. "Maybe you're right, Severus." She shook her head sadly. "I will take my leave tonight, but only because I have to, not because I want to."

"Good." Severus removed his hand and let it fall to his side. "Pack only what you need, and leave as soon as possible. "I know it is difficult to leave, but you must do it… for Draco's sake." He had no intention of telling her he was not allowed to assist or interfere with the boy's mission this time around. But if omitting this fact to Narcissa would make her leave, it would be a small sacrifice he could accept.

"Alright, Severus." She sighed, starting to walk into the direction of the stairs, looking back one last time. "Be careful. Both of you."


	9. 09 De Nuntiis et Vultibus Acidis

Title : Ars Virgarum - De Nuntiis et Vultibus Acidis  
Authors :draco_crescendo &xnuinx  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : essayel & flosspyromaniac.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-09-78117964

* * *

_9 - De Nuntiis et Vultibus Acidis _

Harry looked around the living room, grinning at the complete Weasley family - except Percy and Mr. Weasley - as they opened their presents. It was Christmas evening and he couldn't think of a better place to spend it than with the Weasleys. There was a huge Christmas tree in the middle of the room and everything seemed to be alright tonight. He glanced aside at Hermione. He had gotten her a book and she was now absorbed in it, turning the pages at high speed. Hermione looked up for a moment, smiling at him.

"Thanks for the book, Harry." She smiled. "It's great."

"You're welcome. And we all know how much you love getting books." Harry smiled back.

Ron was grinning from ear to ear as he sat in the middle of his family, including Harry and Hermione. If Percy would just stop being such an idiot, he could have been there as well. His father was running late, something had come up at work and he had had to go in for a couple of hours.

Ron looked at the stack of books beside Hermione, and made a face. Why did she insist on putting books on her wish list every year? They were so boring. He was much more interested in his own pile of opened presents. Well, he was, until he saw Hermione pick up the gift he had bought for her. Suddenly, he felt nervous and fiddled with one of the chess pieces from the new game Hermione had given him, ignoring the piece's protests at being manhandled. What if she didn't like it? Was giving her a charm bracelet too much? Now? The sales witch at the store had promised him it wouldn't be. But what if she had lied to make a sale?

He felt like ripping the present out of Hermione's hands and run off with it, anything to make sure she wouldn't open it and laugh at him. But he didn't and watched with wide eyes as she began to unwrap it.

Hermione cast a curious glance at Ron. "This surely isn't a book, Ron." She teased, before turning back to her package. "You surely wrapped it tightly."

Her tongue poked out from between her lips as she finally managed to get all of the paper off. It was a burgundy velvet box and she carefully lifted the lid. Inside the box was a fine golden bracelet with three sets of each three pearly beads on it, which where the same colour as the box the present had came in. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked back at Ron, smiling.

"It's lovely, Ron." She softly said, leaning towards him to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Blushing furiously, Ron mumbled. "You're welcome." He smiled at her, then picked the bracelet up and put it around her wrist securing the lock with a click. "It's supposed to help you when you study. You'll be able to concentrate no matter what, and you will remember everything, every detail you've read and which book you got it from."

She smiled again, looking at the bracelet now locked around her wrist. "It's perfect."

"I hoped it would be." Ron said as he slowly removed his hands letting them linger near her skin for a few moments. Suddenly, an arm wrapped itself around his neck, and he was forcibly pulled back against another body. A hand ruffled his hair and he could hear his captor laugh.

"Aren't you romantic, little brother?" Fred said with a teasing grin.

George appeared at his twin's side, a grin identical to Fred's on his face, and poked Ron's stomach with a single finger. "Yeah, we didn't know you had it in you."

Ron scowled, shoving the two away, and got out of Fred's stranglehold. "Sod off, you two."

Ginny looked at the bracelet around Hermione's wrist, and sighed. The other girl had Ron wrapped around her little finger. While she, herself, could just sit there and watch Harry play around with the others. She might have agreed to wait, but it didn't mean she had to like it. She wanted to kiss him under the mistletoe like Bill and Fleur were doing at the moment. But she couldn't. Ginny grumbled and focused on her presents instead.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the twins, but ignored them further, shoving Harry instead who was laughing, too. "That's enough, Harry." She gave him a mock-glare.

Harry rubbed at his arm, but continued to chuckle. "Aww, Hermione. Come on, it's Christmas evening."

"True." She gave a wistful sigh, before glancing around the room, frowning. "Ron, where's your dad?"

Ron stopped struggling with his brothers for a minute to look at Hermione. He frowned. "I don't know, it couldn't have taken this long at work… Mum?" He glanced at his mother, who was sitting in the chair by the fireplace.

Molly looked up and sighed. "Still at the Ministry, I suppose. Although, I expect him to be home soon. It's Christmas evening, for Godric's sake, they shouldn't keep people that long on days like these." She grumbled.

As if on cue, there was a whooshing sound from the fireplace. In a blaze of green flames, Arthur Weasley stepped out, a tired look on his face.

"There you are, Arthur." Molly got up. "What kept you so long? I thought you said you would be home on time."

"I did, Molly." Arthur rubbed at his eyes, before turning a serious look at her. "Something came up."

Molly placed a hand on his arm, worry on her face. "What is it, Arthur?"

"Dung was found dead." He quietly said.

"Dung?" Molly gasped.

At the sound of the name, Harry jerked his head up, getting off the floor. "What about Dung?" He asked.

"Harry, please." Arthur sighed, "It's Christmas evening. This is not the time to..."

"What _about_ Dung?" Harry repeated, a little more persistent this time.

"He's dead, Harry." Molly whispered.

"Murdered." Arthur added in the same low voice as his wife.

Ron looked at his father with a questioning glance. "Dung?" He said. "Wasn't Dung the guy in the Order, who kept stealing things from Grimmauld Place to sell them?" He scratched the back of his neck. "He must have made a nice profit from all the things he found."

"Ron!" Molly scolded.

"No, Molly, he's right." Arthur shook his head. "Dung did have a habit of _gathering_ things to sell. I'm sure there have been a few things he took from Grimmauld Place, too."

"Grimmauld Place?" Hermione muttered to herself, before jumping up. "Harry..."

Harry turned around with a frown. "Yeah...?"

"The locket..." She whispered. "He could have taken the locket..."

Harry's eyes widened. "Then we should go check out his house to see if it might still be there. Let's hope he hadn't sold it yet."

"You three are going nowhere at this hour." Molly firmly said. "That is no business for a Christmas evening."

"Besides," Arthur added. "The Aurors are still going through the house. You will not be able to get in for another few days."

"But we _have_ to check it out, Mr. Weasley!" Hermione protested.

"In a few days. I will let you know when you can. And that's my final word on it." He gave her a stern glare, before looking at Molly with a sweet smile. "Now, Mollywobbles, where are my lovely presents?"

* * *

Hermione looked at the front of the house with a grimace on her face. The house was located just outside of Hogsmeade, but it was dirty and it looked like it had been empty for years. She wasn't even sure if they should enter at all. The thing looked like it could collapse at any given time. She looked between Harry and Ron, who were standing on either side of her.

"I'm not so sure about this." She hesitantly spoke. "It looks kind of dangerous. Who knows whether it might collapse while we're inside? What do you two think?"

"I think you're exaggerating, Hermione." Harry kept his gaze trained on the house, trying to take in every brick of it, making sure nothing seemed suspicious. It was a bit foolish since the Aurors had spent a week turning it inside out, but one could never be careful enough. "I don't know what you two are going to do, but I'm going in. I need to know if the locket is here or not."

Ron looked at the shabby house in front of them. "The Burrow looks more stable than this," he said with a shake of his head. "But Harry's right, Hermione. We need to see if the locket's in there."

He began to walk towards the run down house, stepping over the things which littered the front yard. Ron wasn't too sure about this, though. It could turn out to be a dead end like the last house they had searched through. Slughorn's house had, however, been safer to enter than this one. Even if they had had to look out for any other unwanted guests then at least the house wouldn't have threatened to crumble down upon them.

Harry joined him and pushed the door open. He had his wand out, and glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Hermione and Ron did the same. Cautiously, he stepped inside, taking a look around. It was quiet. To Harry's surprise, the house looked rather clean and tidy. He frowned.

Hermione noticed his frown and sighed. "The Aurors probably cleaned up the mess for us. Maybe it was for the best."

"Ron?" Harry looked at his other friend again. "Did you dad mention anything about the Aurors having found anything specific?"

"No, just that they found a trunk full of smaller trinkets, some books and ornaments. He didn't mention anything about finding a locket." Ron looked around with a surprised expression, this was not what he had expected from looking at the outside of the house. "So it could still be here somewhere?"

"I hope so." Harry nodded with a sigh.

"What if you took the kitchen, Harry?" Hermione offered. "I'll take the living room and Ron could take a look upstairs?"

"Sounds good to me." Harry mumbled with a shrug before going to look for the small kitchen.

He started looking through drawers and cupboards, coming up with nothing other than cutlery, plates and a few glasses and mugs. Harry frowned. There was nothing out of the ordinary in this kitchen and he thought it was only a tad strange. He started feeling the backs and bottoms of the drawers and cupboards, wanting to know if they're might be hidden spots. And there seemed to be... He found one hiding spot in the back of cupboard and a false bottom in one of the kitchen drawers, but the locket was in neither of them. All he could find, seemed to belong in the dustbin for all he knew.

Ron nodded and climbed up the stairs, clinging to the rail. The house might have been cleaned on the inside, but it was still in bad repair, just like the outside. Taking the last step in a jump since there was a rather large hole in it, Ron stopped at the top. He looked around and began to walk down the narrow hallway. Systematically he went through each of the three rooms on the first floor, a small bedroom, an even smaller second bedroom and a bathroom, but came up with nothing. The only thing he did find was a picture of the old Order from the seventies, it had been hidden in a secret compartment in the wall of the small bedroom. Ron started to search for other places Mundungus could have hidden something. There were a few other secret spots, but they were empty. Grumbling at his lack of luck, Ron descended the stairs again.

Hermione looked around the living room with a sigh. There was an armchair, a fireplace, a carpet on the floor and bookshelves against the wall. But that was all. She started looking on the shelves, frowning at the old books with unreadable titles in dead languages imprinted on their spines. She looked everywhere she could think of. Between the cushions of the armchair, under the carpet, but there was no locket to be found. She ran a hand through her hair, frustrated.

"Where could that thing be?" She growled under her breath. She leaned her hand against the bricks of the fireplace, when suddenly there was a slight click. Hermione frowned. "What was that?" She searched the mantle, but it came up clean. Running her fingers over the underside of the bricks, she suddenly felt something solid. She ducked her head and whispered a quick "Lumos", illuminating the dirty, soot-covered inside of the fireplace. It seemed that pressing one of the bricks had opened a small, secret compartment. She felt inside and her fingers touched what seemed to be a small wooden box. She pulled it out, turning it over in her hands.

"Harry! Ron! Come here, you guys, I think I found something!" She called out.

Ron ran into the living, he had heard Hermione call out just as he had come down the stairs. "Hermione?" He looked at the small wooden box in her hands with curiosity and hope. "You think it could be in there?"

Hermione nodded and took a glance at Harry when he came in, too. "You found it?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure, but I found this box hidden in a compartment on the inside of the fireplace. Maybe?"

Harry nodded and pointed his wand at it, just for safety. "Open it, Hermione." He softly said.

She lifted the lid, holding the box away from her a little. She didn't like Harry pointing his wand at it while she was holding it. But Harry didn't have any need for his wand as in the box, there was indeed a gold locket. It was a heavy thing which carried an ornate S on it, the evident mark of Salazar Slytherin. Harry put his wand away and took it out, studying it as it dangled in front of his nose. After a moment, he put it back in the box, looking between Hermione and Ron.

"Seal the box, Hermione. We don't want to lose it." He gave her a stern look, before heaving a sigh. "Our work is done here. Let's go." And without waiting for an answer, he was already on his way to the front door.

* * *

"_Professor McGonagall,_

_We haven't learnt anything new on the Horcruxes yet, but we will continue our search. We found the Slytherin locket at Dung's house, but we still don't know how to start destroying it._

_~Harry, Hermione & Ron."_

* * *

McGonagall read the letter once more, then set it down on the desk. She reached up and took off her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose with the tips of her fingers. The children had found their first Horcrux, finally they seemed to be getting somewhere. She smiled, perhaps the war would end for the better after all. If Harry and his friends managed to find all the Horcruxes they stood a chance, one which was much better than she had thought so far.

"Good news, my dear?"

McGonagall turned around and smiled at Dumbledore's portrait. She nodded as she got up from her chair and walked over to his portrait. Some of the other portraits watched her with avid interest, instead of dozing off as they usually did at this hour. "Harry just sent me word about his and his friends' work so far. The three of them have found a Horcrux."

"Indeed? Which one?" Dumbledore asked, tilting his head to one side in question.

"The Slytherin locket," she smiled sadly. "They found it in Dung's house."

The former Headmaster nodded slowly. "Which would explain why Harry and I were not able to retrieve it from the cave."

McGonagall looked at the white haired man, and remembered the horrible night when everything had changed. She quickly shook her head to erase the thoughts, not wanting to remember. Instead, she focused on the last line in the letter. "However they don't know how to proceed. They want to destroy it, but they cannot find a way to do it."

"A most difficult situation, Minerva." Dumbledore stroked his long beard contemplative, then stopped as his fingers got tangled in the white hairs. He fiddled a bit with it and managed to extract his fingers.

"Do you know anything that might help them?" McGonagall asked.

"No, unfortunately I do not." He shook his head sadly, then his face brightened. "I do however know someone with a vast knowledge of the Dark Arts, who would be able to think of a way to destroy the Horcrux."

"Who?" She looked at him, arching an eyebrow.

"Severus." Dumbledore stated simply with a smile. "His knowledge of the Dark Arts is extensive."

McGonagall gasped, and stared at him. "You must be joking, Albus. Severus? After what he did? How could you even suggest such a thing? He should be in Azkaban. He should be thrown to the Dementors."

"He should be given a benefit of doubt." Dumbledore interjected.

"Severus murdered you!" She nearly shrieked, her breath coming out in small pants. McGonagall tried to calm down, but the thought of allowing _that_ man near the children chilled her to the bone. Severus had never been a likable person to many, too cold, too abrasive and had perhaps the most acerbic wit she had ever encountered. But she had trusted him. She had had afternoon tea with him on occasions. He might not have been the best teacher, too impatient with the students who needed help, and too vindictive.

"He did what was necessary, Minerva. Allow him to explain. There is a reason for everything." He said softly, his eyes showed a soothing and gentle presence.

"Killing you with an Unforgivable was necessary?" McGonagall shook her head and walked back to her desk. She sat down in the large chair, then looked at Dumbledore again. "How could it be necessary? I will not believe it."

"Talk to him, my dear. Hear what he has to say. That is all I ask." Dumbledore said slowly. "I will speak with him beforehand."

"I should perhaps send him an owl first, to ask him personally." She muttered, already taking out a piece of parchment and dipped her quill in the bottle of ink.

* * *

"_Severus,_

_I believe it is time you explained yourself. Albus told me he has been visiting you through his portrait. Though I am not yet prepared to forgive you in any way for what you have done, I believe you have earned the chance to explain your motives. Albus has justified that your actions were necessary, but I want to hear the account from your mouth. I want the truth._

_Meet me at the Shrieking Shack next Sunday at noon. There will be Aurors patrolling the grounds of Hogwarts, do not let yourself be caught. I will wait for one hour at the Shack, if you do not turn up, then I know you have made your choice._

_If Albus is right, then please show up. There is no need to go through this alone, Severus._

_Sincerely,_

_~ Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts"_

* * *

Severus crumbled the piece of parchment in his hand and threw it away, snorting to himself. What was McGonagall up to? This could not be true. Why would she owl him now, asking for the "truth"? Even if there was no such thing, she would not simply owl him now without any ulterior motive behind it. How could it not be an ambush? It was obvious. Once he set foot on the school grounds, he would be arrested. But…

He got up from the chair, and walked over to where he had thrown the parchment. He picked it up and unfolded it, straightening the edges. He paced in front of the fireplace, rereading the words. Severus scratched lightly at the short stubble on his chin. Sighing, he sat down in the chair again, the piece of parchment still clutched in his hand. He reached up to run a hand through the stringy, greasy locks. What should he do?

If he managed to somehow persuade her to trust him for now, how long would the truce last? This was ridiculous. It would amount to nothing but a one way ticket to Azkaban for him.

"Go to the meeting, Severus. I took a great deal of time to convince Minerva to owl you." Dumbledore interrupted Severus' thoughts from the portrait.

Severus turned around, staring at the other man with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked suspiciously. "What are you planning, old man?"

"To help you, Severus. For the greater good of the Wizarding World, you have to put aside your insecurities-"

"I am not insecure, you twittering old fool." Severus snarled. "I have good cause to think twice, before trusting anyone… of either side."

"Yes, of course, Severus. Which is why you will need allies. Minerva will help you, so will Harry." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I highly doubt that." He muttered, glaring at the portrait. Potter. That was one person Severus was in no hurry to see again. He was quite sure the sentiment was returned. Actually, he would be rather content if he never had to see the brat again, or any of his friends. "The impertinent Potter brat would no sooner aid me than he would throw himself at the mercy of a Malfoy, or surrender the outcome of the war to the Dark Lord."

"Now, now, there is no need for name calling. Severus, you will go to that meeting." Dumbledore said with stern glint in his blue eyes, but the former Headmaster was still smiling gently. Severus sighed, once Dumbledore looked at him with that expression, he knew the old man would not give up as easily.

"Albus," Severus said in a low tone of voice. "I did not like to be pressurized by you when you were alive and I certainly do not appreciate it now. However, I will consent to meet Minerva."

"Good, my boy."

Severus held up a hand to stop any further words from Dumbledore. "I will agree to meet her, but I will not promise anything further." Perhaps she would be able to do something for the Malfoy boy, he had promised he would attempt to contact the Order.

"Very well, Severus." Dumbledore said, then vanished from his frame.

Severus scoffed and looked at the letter, leaning back against the chair. He reread the letter a third time trying to detect any hidden messages between the lines. She asked him to come, then warned him about the Aurors, who patrolled the grounds. She didn't spout any big words about wanting to forgive him for what was unforgivable. He _had_ after all used an Unforgivable. But she wanted to hear what he had to say.

He looked at the letter again, and made his decision.

* * *

"_Harry, Ron and Hermione_

_Thank Merlin, you found the locket. Hopefully, we have come a step closer to defeating Lord Voldemort. I am glad that you and your friends have been successful, but you are, of course, being careful?_

_Next Sunday, I will bring someone who might be able to help you further with destroying the locket. But bear in mind not to judge him beforehand. I believe he would be a great help to you, if you allow him to be._

_Take care._

_~ Minerva McGonagall."_

* * *

Severus entered the Shrieking Shack ten minutes before the deadline McGonagall had set. He sighed, perhaps he shouldn't have come after all. But if he returned to his mother's house, he was sure he would find Dumbledore waiting for him in the frame and wearing a disapproving frown on his face.

He stepped out of the way as dust fell from the ceiling and walked further into the near ruin of a house. Severus had a firm grip on his wand, his senses were alert of any thing that was not supposed to be there, other than himself.

"Severus?" A questioning female voice called out in hushed tones and Minerva McGonagall stepped out from one of the rooms dressed in heavy winter robes. She had her wand in her right hand and she eyed his own wand with a scathing look. But then she looked into his eyes, a sad smile spreading across her lips. "You came."

"Yes, Albus was most adamant that I did." He said evenly, drawing his robes closer around his body to ward off the chilling air.

"I see. Well, perhaps we should adjourn to some place a tad warmer? I have arranged for the fireplace to be temporarily connected directly to the one in my office." She motioned for him to enter the room, keeping an eye on him as he nodded and walked past her. Severus waited for her to open the connection through the Floo system, then followed after her as she was sent off by the green flames. He narrowed his eyes as he stepped out into the Headmistress' office, searching for any sign of an ambush.

McGonagall had already retreated to the chair behind the large desk, she looked at him expectantly. "Sit, Severus, please."

Severus eyed the chair opposite the desk from the Headmistress' and did as she asked. When she kept looking at him with an arched eyebrow, he mirrored her expression. She offered him a cup of tea, which he curtly declined with a simple 'No'. McGonagall nodded, but poured a cup for herself before she put the teapot away.

She took a long sip, peering at Severus over the rim of the cup. Then she put the cup down, and took a deep breath. "Severus… Why did you kill Albus?"

Severus looked at her, his mouth twitched ready to retort with a scathing reply, but he bit it back. He wanted to distract her from asking that particular question. However, it would perhaps be for the best to answer truthfully. If he needed to gain her trust, enough for her to take Draco in, he would do far better by telling the truth.

"It was necessary." He uttered.

"That is what Albus said." McGonagall said, her face set in grim expression. "Now I want to know why it was necessary."

"Minerva…"

"Please, Severus. Tell me?" She said in a soft voice as if she was soothing a scared first year.

Severus stared at the table in front of him. "Draco Malfoy was given the assignment. It was his job to… kill Albus."

"But then, why did you do it for him? Why did you kill him?" McGonagall pressed.

"Because I made the Unbreakable with Draco's mother," he said quietly. "I swore I would protect him, watch over him… and if he would fail his mission, I would finish it for him."

"Severus." McGonagall gasped. "You didn't? That was a very foolish thing to do."

He rolled his eyes, then looked at her again. "I'm aware of that, Minerva. However, it is done now. Albus had been fading throughout the year. Destroying the Horcrux, Slytherin's ring, had already sealed his fate, or so he told me…"

"Albus destroyed the Horcrux. He knows how to do it, but he told me to get a hold of you." McGonagall considered as she sipped from her cup of tea.

"What?" Severus cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

McGonagall sighed, and put down her cup. "Harry and his friends are searching for the Horcruxes." She hid the smile which had appeared as she saw the stunned expression on the former professor's face. "They found the locket, which Albus and Harry were searching for the night… Albus died."

Severus nodded slowly. _'__Foolish children,_' he thought. _'__Foolishly, stupid, ignorant children.__'_

"But they do not know how to destroy it," she explained. "The children could use someone with your insight on the Dark Arts, Severus."

"Insight." Severus snorted as he stared at her with steely black eyes. "Those brats do not need insight. What they need is a bloody miracle."

"So I will bring them you," she smirked. "And kindly refrain from calling the children brats, I do not think they will take it well."

"That was hardly amusing, Minerva," He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest and muttered. "Brats."

"Severus! Really, one would think you were a child." McGonagall chided lightly. "So you will agree to help?" She asked with a hopeful look in his direction.

Severus waved his hand at her curtly, and nodded. "Yes, yes. I will concur to help the bloody brats."

"Good." She smiled. However, it was soon replaced but a sombre expression. "You had no other choice?"

Knowing what she was talking about, Severus shook his head. "No, I could not break the Vow, even now I am bound by it."

"But you fulfilled it." McGonagall protested.

"The Vow is still in effect, Minerva. A specific time or expiration date was not given. I have to protect him and watch over him." he said with a shake of his head. "Especially now. He wants out, Minerva. He wants to leave the Dark Lord's ranks. I promised I would help him."

"The boy will want the Order's help then." McGonagall said determinedly. "Bring him to Grimmauld Place when you have the chance."

Severus stared at her in disbelief. "That is it? You agree to help him?"

She smiled softly. "Albus said you should be given the benefit of a doubt. He still trusts you. So I will give that chance to you Draco Malfoy as well."

"You are serious?"

"Quite so, in fact." McGonagall rose from her seat, and walked toward the fireplace. "Now, Severus. I think it is time to move somewhere else. We are expected at Grimmauld Place." She smirked at him.

"What? Now? Are you insane, woman?" He sneered.

"Yes, _now_, Severus."

TBC.


	10. 10 De Recursu Reguli

Title : Ars Virgarum – De Recursu Reguli  
Authors : draco_crescendo & xnuinx

Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : essayel & flosspyromaniac  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?  
Author notes : _Ars Virgarum_ = Art of the Wands; De Recursu Reguli = Of the Prince's Return

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-10-78119763

* * *

_10 - De Recursu Reguli_

Hermione sipped her tea as she looked between Ron and Harry. They had finished their lunch about an hour ago and were now sitting in the drawing room. McGonagall had said she would bring someone over today, but she had not mentioned what time. After much talking about Horcruxes, they had fallen silent now. They were all curious about who McGonagall was going to bring, who this person might be who could help them in destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes. It was not a very pleasant silence and Hermione suppressed a sigh. '_McGonagall better show up soon, or someone will go insane._" She thought to herself.

Ron tapped his foot against the floor, looking at the clock on the wall. He was feeling restless and he just wanted McGonagall to show up. He was thinking about the shepherds pie which was waiting for him at home and hoping the twins hadn't been sneaking bites already, otherwise he was sure there wouldn't be any left for him.

Suddenly, he heard the wards alerting them to someone entering through the Floo-system. He was up in a flash and ready to go greet the Headmistress, when a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Really, Minerva. Was that absolutely necessary?" The cold, sneering and very familiar voice said scathingly. "I would have liked some kind of warning, before Floo-ing directly here."

Ron blinked. He knew that voice. He loathed that voice! Clenching his hand, he took a step forward. How could McGonagall bring _him_ here? How could she even speak so lightly with that murderer? Ron heard the Headmistress laugh slightly, then chide the other person. Growling, Ron took his wand out.

Harry was right beside him, wand clenched so tightly in his hand that his knuckled had gone white. "Snape." He hissed under his breath. "I'll kill him."

In the blink of an eye, Hermione set down her cup and seized the back of the boys' robes. "McGonagall must have a very good reason to..." She weakly whispered.

"I don't give a bloody damn." Harry snarled. "He killed Dumbledore." He took a step forward, but Hermione clung tightly to the material, having to use all of her weight to hold him back at all.

"Hermione, let go of him. Snape deserves anything we throw at him." Ron said harshly, his face set in grim determination. "He's a murderer."

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that, Mr. Weasley. But thank you for clarifying it for us all." Severus sneered as he walked into the drawing room, closely followed by McGonagall. He made no move to sit down or make himself comfortable, but simply stayed in the middle of the room. Severus arched an eyebrow at Harry and Ron, eyeing the wands clenched in their hands. "Planning on using those, gentlemen?"

"Severus!" McGonagall interrupted and walked around to stand in front of the Potions Master. "You promised to not cause any trouble."

Severus snorted and rolled his eyes. "I did no such thing."

Harry growled low in his throat, before glaring at McGonagall. "Of all the people, you brought in Dumbledore's murderer." He spat, not caring she was now the Headmistress. She of all people should understand the danger Snape provided. "A pity Voldemort didn't kill you when _you_ killed Dumbledore instead of Malfoy, like he was supposed to." He sneered, tearing his robe away from Hermione's grip.

"Harry!" McGonagall exclaimed shocked. "I asked you to keep an open mind."

"Minerva, it is quite alright." Severus said. "One cannot expect the children to understand things they know nothing about." Though, he was rather surprised that the Potter brat knew about what had happened. How was that? The boy had not been there. How could he know?

"An open mind does not include bringing murderers into one's house." Harry snorted, before glaring at Snape. "I _know_ what I saw, Snape. I'm not blind."

Hermione whimpered from behind him. She didn't like where this was going. She knew that Harry and Snape had never been able to stand each other, but that didn't help them much right now. Ron looked back and forth between Snape and Harry, who were facing off like a pair of warring giants. This would not end well, but as long as Snape didn't walk away without a scratch, he didn't really care. Snape did not deserve the trust McGonagall was obviously giving him. He certainly hadn't deserved the trust Dumbledore had given him. What he deserved was to be thrown in Azkaban and rot there for the rest of his life. Ron didn't move from Harry's side, wanting to be there in case Snape turned on them again.

Severus looked at the boy with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "And what, pray tell, did you see, boy?" He asked sharply. He raised a hand to stop McGonagall from speaking when she made a move to do so. Looking at her out of the corner of his eyes, Severus saw her worried and horrified expression. However, there was no time for the sentimentality of reassuring her that he wouldn't kill her precious saviour. Apparently, only the hard truth would suffice at this moment.

"I saw you barging in, while two of your companions were obviously encouraging Malfoy to kill Dumbledore. He couldn't. He _hesitated_." Harry coldly replied. "But you _waltzed_ into the office and murdered him without even blinking. He was ill, wandless and definitely not capable of defending himself. You never deserved his trust and his kindness, just like you don't deserve McGonagall's now either."

Severus glared at the boy and crossed his arms in front of his chest. In a chillingly derisive tone he sneered. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter. Once again, you have managed to come to a conclusion, which is utterly and completely wrong. You haven't learnt anything, have you? Still jumping to conclusions without knowing all the facts. How typically Gryffindor of you, Mr. Potter."

"Then why don't you just give me _all_ of the _bloody_ facts?!" He snarled, suppressing the urge to hex him.

Suddenly, a loud whistle resonated in the room and McGonagall stepped in between Severus and Harry. "Enough! The both of you. If you cannot keep a civil tone…" She looked sternly at Harry, then at Severus. "I thought better of you, both of you." McGonagall said, disappointment lacing her voice. "You are both adults, act like it. But until then, I will separate you if I must. Opposite corners of the room, gentlemen and hand me your wands." She held out her hand and waited.

Harry looked at McGonagall's outstretched hand, before flicking his gaze back to her face. He saw her lips having been pressed into a thin line, but he still refused to give up his wand. This was _his_ house for God's sake! He slipped his wand back inside his robes and crossed his arms, giving her a menacing glare, before taking a seat on the sofa.

McGonagall sighed. She should have foreseen that Harry wouldn't be likely to give up his wand so easily. She looked at Severus and found him looking at her outstretched hand with a scowl. Then he snorted and turned around, walking toward the door. For one second she thought he would leave again, but he simply stopped by the door and leaned against the wall beside it. His wand was still clutched in his hand, however, after a short while he put it away inside the sleeve of his robe.

"Could we at least try to stay calm and act like the adults we are? I brought Severus here because he can help you with the Horcruxes." She said tiredly as she sat down in one of the vacant chairs. "I have spoken with Severus about his motives for… what he did. I believe he had no other choice." She ignored the soft snort coming from the man in question. "Albus was the one, who asked me to contact Severus when I received your owl about the locket." McGonagall rubbed lightly at her temples. "Severus did what he had to do."

"Just tell them about the Vow, Minerva. There is no point in keeping that a secret," Severus said in a low tone and began to move away from the wall. "However, I can just as well leave. I am clearly not wanted here."

"No, Severus. You agreed to help. You will stay." McGonagall looked at him with a stern expression, the same one she used on particularly unruly students. He stopped moving and scoffed, looking away. She took it as a 'yes'. "Severus made the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy. He promised he would protect and watch over young Mr. Malfoy, and if need be; he would fulfil the mission, if it seemed like Mr. Malfoy could not."

"What?!" Ron exclaimed. "That is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. What a lousy excuse to murder someone. No one is stupid enough to make the Unbreakable Vow with those terms."

"Why, thank you for your vote of confidence, Mr. Weasley." Severus sneered from his spot by the door. "Unfortunately, it shows how much you know about me. Which is nothing at all."

"So that is what you and Malfoy were arguing about at Slughorn's party." Harry mumbled, more to himself than to anyone in particular. "What _is_ an Unbreakable Vow, exactly?"

"It's a vow between two people that will need a Bonder, Harry." Hermione quietly said. "The Bonder's wand is required to touch the joined hands of the two parties that have agreed to all clauses of the oath that will be sworn. It's rather tricky, since the name itself says that it's unbreakable."

"Which is why it's so stupid. Once you take the Unbreakable Vow, you will be bound by it forever, you can't get out of it or bend the clauses. Everything which is agreed on has to be stuck by." Ron said, then blinked at the surprised expressions on Hermione and Harry's faces. "What? I'm allowed to know stuff." He muttered.

Hermione looked at Snape. "Who was the Bonder, sir?" Her voice was quiet and polite, not even demanding. She didn't even expect him wanting to answer that question, but asking didn't hurt, now did it?

"_Sir?_" Harry snorted, "Hermione..."

"Unlike you, Harry, I _do_ trust McGonagall's judgement." She snapped. "If he has agreed to help us, we should take the bloody chance. We have _nothing_ to go on, except for Regulus' diary. And until now, that's not been much of a help, now has it?"

Harry muttered something inaudible under his breath.

"Though, it is none of your business, Miss Granger," Severus said coldly. "The Bonder was Bellatrix Lestrange." He spat the name out. Merlin, how he hated that dratted woman. However, he had been surprised when the Dark Lord did not ask him about the vow. Had Bellatrix not told him? It was a strange thought, but it seemed she had kept quiet about the night she had been at his house with Narcissa. "Who better to act as Bonder than Mrs. Malfoy's own sister?" He snorted.

'_And also one of Voldemort's most trusted followers._' Hermione scrunched her face up in thought. '_If Snape had refused..._' Suddenly, it all clicked into place. McGonagall had been right, he had had no other choice. She ran a hand through her hair. "Are you still bound by it?" She asked. "I thought... Well, that once it has been fulfilled..." She broke it off there.

Severus nodded slowly. "I am. There was no time limit given when the vow was made." He scratched lightly at his elbow, but otherwise remained completely still. "Unless specified, the vow will last as long as either of the bonded are alive or the clauses are able to be fulfilled, no matter how many times it may be."

"McGonagall has brought you here to help us..." She plucked at her sleeve, before looking up again. "So what happens to Malfoy now?"

"Mr. Malfoy… is still under my protection," Severus said guardedly. "He has requested my aid. Which is a matter I have discussed with Minerva. He wants to leave the Dark Lord's ranks, but he will need help."

"And I have agreed to give him shelter within the Order." McGonagall added with a short nod.

"As long as he isn't brought here. He is not welcome here." Harry snorted. He had been quiet for a while, actually listening to what Snape had to say. But he meant what he said. He would not welcome Malfoy into his house.

"Indeed, Mr. Potter. I doubt he would want to be here either." He said with a slightly snorting laugh. Severus drew his robes closer around his body and looked at the trio. "He is staying with me."

"Settled then." Harry coolly said, before rising and leaving the room.

"As there seems to be no other need for me here, I will take my leave." Severus uttered and left the room as well, heading for the fireplace with the Floo-connection.

Hermione heaved a sigh. '_Well, this conversation seems to be over._' She stood up too and gave McGonagall an apologetic look. "It's been a long day, Professor..."

"It has indeed, Hermione." McGonagall smiled. "If only the boys could act more civil to each other in the future, perhaps we will all come out of this alive... and I'm not talking about the war." She added with a smirk, before heading toward fireplace in the other room. "It was, however, nice to see you three in good health."

"Hey!" Ron objected. "I've been civil."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She was not referring to you, Ronald. Well, not mostly." She nodded at McGonagall, before watching her leave. When she had, she turned to Ron. "I think it's best if we left Harry alone for a bit."

Ron nodded slowly. "I think so too. He's has a lot to think over. We all have. Snape isn't evil after all! Well, not much." He mock-gasped, then he remembered something he had been wanting to tell Hermione and Harry since he had first arrived earlier. He had simply forgotten. "Hermione, Mum wanted me to let you know that you and Harry, if you're not doing anything, are welcome for dinner next Thursday."

She nodded. "We'll be there." She said with a small smile. "I'll let Harry know." She paused. "Well, I suppose I should be going home, too." She kissed Ron on the cheek and headed for the fireplace, ready to go home, even if it was to hide the small blush that had crept to her cheeks.

Ron stared after her as she vanished into the green flames, blushing. Slowly, his hand crept up to touch his cheek where she had kissed him. Then his face split into a wide grin and he whooped loudly.

* * *

Draco pressed his back against the wall, holding his breath as he noticed one of the Aurors crossing the hallway. He closed his eyes briefly, praying that they wouldn't spot him. It might have been foolish to come back, but he had to see it for himself. Snape had told him that he should steer away from Hogwarts for a while, but still... Pansy was his friend - or at least had been.

The hallways were empty, except for the Aurors doing their rounds and an occasional teacher. He cautiously made his way to the Slytherin common room, tapping his wand against the wall and muttering the password. He slipped inside and glanced around the room. It was empty except for Millicent, who seemed to be gathering her books. He strode over to her.

"Millicent, where is Pansy?" He quietly asked.

The girl looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "I don't know, Draco." She sighed. "I haven't seen her since dinner. The only thing I know is that she's not up in the dorm. She's probably making her evening walk." She let out a soft snort before picking up her belongings and disappearing into the girl's dormitory.

Draco watched her for a moment, before sitting down with a heavy sigh. He decided he should wait for her then. Well, if she decided to show up, but she had to return to her dorm sometime, right?

Pansy walked towards the Slytherin common room, she had been walking around for quite a while until Tom had popped up and told her to go to her dormitory. While she agreed with Tom that it was getting late, she was nowhere near being tired enough to go to sleep. Perhaps, she would just lie back on her bed and read for a couple of minutes. When she came to the bare wall which opened into the common room, she stopped for a moment. Pansy looked at the bracelet and sighed. Tom was rather silent for the time being, but he was still observing everything she did, she was sure of it. She shivered at the thought.

Opening the entrance, she stepped inside and stared at the lad, sitting on one of the sofa's. "Draco? What are you doing here?"

Draco looked up from having been staring into the flames. "I am not allowed to be warming myself by the fireplace?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I could ask you the same thing, since there's not supposed to be a living soul out in those hallways at this hour."

Pansy rolled her eyes and grumbled. "I was taking a walk, not that it is any of your business. Besides, prohibited or not… I won't get caught." Tom would make sure she wasn't. She began walking toward the dormitories.

He quickly got to his feet and grabbed her by the arm, whirling her around and backing her up against the wall. He _had_ to know. Not that he didn't believe Snape, but sometimes, you had to see things with your own eyes to believe it.

Pansy gasped when she was forcefully shoved against the wall. She looked up at Draco with wide eyes. "What are you doing?" She hissed as a sudden pain erupted at the base of her spine where it had hit the cold, stone wall.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He smirked lightly. He had tried to force her last time, but that hadn't worked out very well. Maybe he just had to seduce her a little... He snuck her fingers under the hem of her shirt, cold fingertips brushing the bare flesh.

Pansy shivered as his cold fingers touched her skin. What was going on? "Draco…?" she whispered, confused. She tried to pull away, but he had encircled her, effectively cutting her off from getting away. "What…?"

"I don't remember you ever protesting." He whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. He pressed himself a bit closer against her. He removed his hand from under her shirt, lacing her fingers through his. Bringing both of her arms above her head, he pinned them to the wall.

She swallowed, but shook her head. No, she hadn't protested before, that was true. But right now, his hands were dangerously close to both the bracelet and her Dark Mark. Pansy could hear Tom yelling in the back of her mind, rage in his voice.

_"Pansy! Bloody hell, girl! Get away from him! He is after the bracelet!"_ Tom roared. _"Do not let him near it!"_

Pansy blinked, then began to struggle, squirming in Draco's grasp. Draco's grip tightened a little.

"Hey, hey, hey..." He said in a soothing voice. "Calm down, Pansy. It's not like I'm going to hurt you." '_All I need is another minute..._' He frantically thought to himself.

"N-no!" She snapped, still wiggling about in an attempt to get free. "Get off me, you're not getting the bracelet!"

Draco inwardly cursed, trapping her body against the stone wall. He _needed_ to see. '_Now._' He decided. In one swift movement, he pulled her sleeve away from her forearm, revealing the Dark Mark etched into her pale skin.

Pansy stilled and stared at him, then at her Dark Mark. She winced and with a sudden burst of strength, she jerked out of his grip. Backing away from him, she held her hand over the mark, her hand twitching slightly. Draco simply watched her for a moment before taking a step towards her again.

"Pansy, please..." He sighed. "This is not _you_... Come on..."

Suddenly, her hand moved on its own accord and she could feel the pain bloom in her hand as it struck Draco's cheek. "Don't…" She muttered as she backed further away from him.

_"Pansy, go now! Do not let him get near._" Tom advised, then sneered. _"Sodding brat."_

Draco pressed his hand against his reddening cheek. That was surely going to bruise. He locked his gaze on hers. "Pansy, snap out of it." He quietly said, almost pleading.

_"Ignore him, Pansy."_ Tom seemed to have regained his calm as he whispered to her. _"Just ignore him."_

Pansy nodded to herself, her eyes still locked with Draco's. Then she whirled around and ran out of the common room, before he could say anything else. Tom was right, she should just ignore Draco. All he wanted was the bracelet… but then why had he stared at her mark? Quickly, she entered her dormitory and locked the door behind her. She slid down to the floor and sat there, staring at the wall farthest back in the room and lost in thoughts. Tom crooned softly to her, soothing her, telling her how she should not let him get so close another time. She sighed, Tom was right… He was always right.

Draco heaved a sigh as he watched her leave, before turning around and leaving the common room himself. It was hopeless. He would never get through to Pansy again. He had to admit it scared him, losing his best friend like that.

When he safely arrived back in his room in Hogsmeade, he Floo-ed off to Snape's hideout. Something had to be done.

* * *

Severus flipped through the book, sighed and put it back in its place on the shelf, only to pull out another book and repeat the process. His mother might have been an avid reader, like himself, owning a large amount of ancient manuscripts and he had hoped she would have some books which could help with the current problem. But there was nothing. He growled in frustration. Suddenly, the flames in the fireplace flared green. Severus quickly pulled out his wand and watched as Draco stepped through. He arched an eyebrow at the boy.

Draco looked at him, a lost look in his eyes. He rubbed at the bruise forming on his cheek, before shrugging. "You were right." He mumbled. "Pansy's lost."

Severus nodded slowly. "I had feared it would be so." He looked at Draco's cheek. "What happened exactly?"

He shrugged again, sitting himself down in one of the armchairs. "She hit me. I don't really want to talk about it. She's acting really strange. It seems like she isn't herself anymore, like someone else is playing her like a puppet at times. It's freaky."

"Indeed." He said simply and moved to the chair opposite Draco's and sat down. He let his arms fall to the armrests and sighed. '_If the boy is right, then the bracelet could be Horcrux. Yes, it has to be._' Finally he spoke again. "This is taking a turn for the worse. She is in possession of a bracelet which alters her mind. She has been marked. Why is the Dark Lord suddenly so interested in her?" He pondered.

"My best guess would be that bracelet." Draco replied with a frown. "What do you mean, alters her mind?"

Severus looked up. "It seems as if the bracelet has a mind of its own. One should never trust an item like that, Draco. Never. But Miss Parkinson must have forgotten that particular fact." He stopped to consider how to best explain things to the boy. "I believe the bracelet might be a Horcrux."

"A what?" Draco asked, confused. "What is that?"

"A product of some of the darkest magic that exists. To make a Horcrux, you require a sacrifice. You have to kill a person, in which you split a part of your own soul from your body and place it in an object, such as perhaps a bracelet." Severus said calmly, remembering the only information about the subject he had managed to gather. "By splitting your soul… you would be practically immortal, Draco. The bracelet may be a Horcrux, a container for a part of the Dark Lord's soul."

"You-Know-Who is immortal?" Draco paled. "And Pansy is wearing a piece of his soul on her wrist?!"

"It would seem so, yes." Severus nodded. "On both accounts. We have to get the bracelet away from her, Draco. It is not safe for her to have it. Furthermore, if she keeps it… Potter will not be able to kill the Dark Lord."

Draco nodded in understanding. He shuddered at the thought of a piece of You-Know-Who's soul having been hidden in an object that seemed so harmless. He looked at Snape again. "Potter knows about Horcuxes?"

"Yes, why do you think you haven't seen him around Hogwarts?" Severus said coldly. Though he had brought Potter into the conversation, he still hated talking about the brat. "He is off with his friends, hunting every Horcrux down."

"How many of these things did the Dark Lord make?" Draco frowned. "It could be a long search..."

"I believe he made around six or seven Horcruxes. One is already in Potter's possession, Parkinson would be wearing the second one." Severus answered. "Then there was a ring, which Dumbledore has already destroyed."

"We are going to do something about that bracelet, aren't we?" Draco asked, a bit worried. "We're not just going to leave it like that, are we?"

Shaking his head, Severus looked at the boy opposite of him. "No, of course, we are not going to leave it like that, no. However, to get it from her we may need help. Potter's help." He sneered, he may have agreed to help the brat and his friends, but that did still not mean he had to like the boy.

"Just great." Draco muttered. "Like they will accept us just walking in like that." He paused, then frowned. "Wait... How do you know Potter already has one of these things in his possession? He couldn't have had it long, could he?"

"They will not be happy about it, but they will accept it, Draco." Severus said and waved his hand at the fireplace offhandedly. "I know he has a Horcrux, because a couple of days ago, Hogwarts' Headmistress and de facto leader of the Order of the Phoenix dragged me to Potter's house for a nice little chat. I have consented to help the brats with their search for a way to destroy the Horcruxes."

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair, nodding. He didn't want to work with Potter, Weasley and Granger, but it seemed that he was running out of options. "But I know nothing about Horcruxes. So what good am I to them?"

"They hardly know any more than you do right now as I have told you everything I know about the subject. However, we will talk with the insolent brats and take it from there." Severus scratched lightly at his left arm and looked at Draco. "Perhaps you know something, but cannot simply connect it correctly to the situation."

He nodded again, fumbling with his sleeve. He wasn't really looking forward to it, but everyone was bound to do things against their own will one day, weren't they? In the meanwhile, he would just have to wait and see.


	11. 11 De Cena et Convivis Inopinis

Title : Ars Virgarum – De Cena et Convivis Inopinis  
Authors : draco_crescendo & xnuinx

Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : essayel & flosspyromaniac  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-11-78120076

* * *

_11 - De Cena et Convivis Inopinis _

A sea of red hair with a few splotches of fair and darker hair were gathered around the table. The table itself had needed to be enlarged to fit in every member of the family and those who had practically been adopted by the heads of the Weasley clan. Several dishes laden with heaps of food had been placed closely together in an attempt to fit it all on the surface of the dinner table. Nearly every male member of the Weasley family was busy shovelling food onto their plates as if they feared it would run away.

Ron was grinning and continuing to shovel food onto his plate until it resembled a small mountain. He ignored the eye rolls directed at him from the others at the table and went to take the first bite, when he was whacked upside down his head. He winced and looked at the owner of the offending hand.

"Bill!" He whined, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head.

"Wait until we all had the chance to get some food, brat." Bill grinned cheekily. "Some of us would like not to starve."

Ron grumbled, but sat back and waited for the others to be ready to eat.

As the others dug in, Hermione rolled her eyes and started on her own dinner. It was silent at the table, except for the ticking of cutlery against the plates. She nudged Ron in the side.

"Manners, Ronald." She hissed, looking disapprovingly at his behaviour.

Harry suppressed a chuckle and looked around the table. It felt great to be amongst the people he considered his family. And even now that darker times lay ahead of them, they suddenly seemed completely forgotten.

Ron pouted, but did eat slower as Hermione kept her watchful eye on him. He munched carefully on the loaf of bread he had at the side of his plate. "Better?" He grinned sheepishly.

"No, we can still -" Fred began.

"- see your face." George finished for his twin and they smirked at each other, then dug into their own food in perfect synchronisation.

Even if Ron had seen them do this a million times, it always managed to creep him out when they did so. He knew they synchronized their movements just for the fun of making other people stop and watch in awe or fascination.

"Fred! George!" Molly scolded. "That's enough!" She cast a glance at Charlie. "And you..." She rolled her eyes and slapped a napkin against his chest. "Use _this_ for Godric's sake."

"Right, Charlie!" Fred and George crowed as one. "Use a bib, brother dearest. Other people have to watch you eat, you know."

Bill and Ron shared a look and rolled their eyes, both focusing on their own meals and keeping a low profile. They were not stupid enough to attract their mother's attention, especially not when she was nagging everyone else to behave. Molly was about to scold the twins again when Arthur decided to interrupt.

"So... Harry, how's the search going?" He looked at the trio sitting at the other side of the table.

Harry shrugged. "We've managed to find one of the Horcruxes so far, but we still know nothing about them." He heaved a sigh. "I believe we still have a lot of work ahead of us."

"We've been going through Regulus' diary for clues, but so far it hasn't helped us much." Hermione added, "But we keep on looking. There are just not so many books that deal with Horcruxes in general. Even 'Magick Most Evile' only mentions them in the introduction as the wickedest magical inventions."

"And our most important source has been killed." Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Slughorn won't be of any more use to us. We're running out of options, so it seems."

"It'll all work out, Harry." Molly said with a smile. "You'll see that sooner or later everything will fall into place."

"Yeah, it'll work out." Ron spoke up while chewing on a piece of shepherds pie. "We have _help_ now." He grimaced and stuffed another piece into his mouth.

Hermione and Harry exchanged a quick, panicked look, before Hermione stomped Ron's foot under the table.

Ron winced as Hermione's foot stomped down on his own, hard. He quickly withdrew his foot from her vicious toes, rubbing it softly against the back of his other leg.

"Idiot." She hissed between her teeth, before trying to act normal. "Ron, don't speak with your mouth full." She turned back to Molly with a smile. "Ron's right, we could _use_ some help."

"If you'd look for someone with a connection to You-Know-Who, you could always try with Lucius. He was supposedly You-Know-Who's right hand man." Arthur gave a light shrug, taking another bite from his shepherd's pie. He frowned when noticing all heads were turned to him, jaws lightly dropped. "What?"

"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "Lucius Malfoy! He's in Azkaban! We could try and get him to talk!"

When his father mentioned Lucius Malfoy, his head whirled around to stare at him. His father could not be bloody serious, they already had to deal with Malfoy Junior, why then did they have to handle the older, more evil version as well? "Malfoy? Oh, come on, you can't be serious… Please?"

"His knowledge could be helpful to us." Hermione sniffed.

"I can't see why he'd bother to help us, though." Harry interrupted with a scowl.

"Oh, Harry, you just have to look further than that. Think of it. If we _could_ get _something_ out of him..." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're thinking too positive, Hermione. We won't."

"Negative thinking never helped anyone, now did it?" She pursed her lips.

Ron nodded in agreement with Harry. "I don't think Malfoy would help us either, Hermione. He's a nasty, spiteful bastard."

"True." She admitted, "But I still think we should give it a try."

"Well..." Harry heaved a sigh. "I don't think we'll get much further with him, but at least it's better than sitting around and doing nothing. We'll owl McGonagall about it tomorrow."

Ron groaned, but at the look Hermione gave him out of the corner of her eyes, he stifled his displeasure and went back to finishing up the last few crumbs of his pie. After all, he had to make room for seconds, something which was much more pleasant to think about than Malfoy, either of them.

* * *

"_Professor McGonagall,_

_Would it be possible to have Lucius Malfoy questioned? As Voldemort's supposedly right-hand man, he could be holding back valuable information about our search for the Horcruxes._

_~ Harry, Hermione & Ron."_

***

McGonagall sighed and rubbed her temples. The people gathered once again around table in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place were chattering loudly and it was grating on her nerves as she had been trying to silence them for the last couple of minutes. Finally, she slammed her hand down on the table, resulting in a loud bang, and immediately everyone turned their attention toward her.

"Would you all please be silent so that we may get on with the meeting?" McGonagall said tiredly as they all nodded as one. "Thank you."

"I know you have all heard by now that Mundungus Fletcher has been another casualty of this war. We are starting to run out of time. We need to gain ground against Voldemort and his followers. Muggle villages, Order members, the Ministry and Wizarding civilians are all targets and we must take precautions to ensure our safety. We must be at least two steps ahead of Voldemort."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Tonks spoke up, a frown on her face.

She took a deep breath and picked up the note which Harry, Ron and Hermione had sent her with Hedwig. How was she going to convince the Order to do this? She read the words again, still not believing them to be quite true. Lucius Malfoy? Would he have vital information when he was imprisoned at the moment? While he could not have gathered much information in the last year and a half, perhaps he did know something which would be of use to them all.

"I would like for a team to go to Azkaban and question Lucius Malfoy about certain subjects."

"What?!" Moody snapped. Rising to stand up, his peg leg thumped against the floor with a hollow sound. "You can't be serious, Minerva! First, you tell us the greasy bastard killed Albus. So much for trusting and giving Death Eater scum another chance." He spat.

"Alastor - " McGonagall said slowly, wanting the man to shut up and listen for once.

"And now, you want us to question another of those. Do you want us to let him go as well?" Moody continued insistently.

"Alastor, I want you to question the man about subjects which are crucial to our future, not host a tea party." She looked at the scarred man with an arched eyebrow, daring him to speak up again. She gazed at the people around the table, stopping when she locked eyes with Harry, who was sitting at the other end of the table in between Ron and Hermione. McGonagall nodded slightly and formed the words she would say next in her mind.

"I want the team, whoever volunteers, to ask him about what he knows of Horcruxes, among other things."

"Horcruxes?" Tonks asked confusedly.

"Nothing you need to worry about, but it would be nice if you ask him." McGonagall tried to sound as casual as possible, there was no need to worry the Order any further. They all had enough to think about. "Now who can I count on for this assignment?"

Moody and Shacklebolt offered to go and she smiled gratefully. If Moody had gone alone Malfoy would be dead before the questioning had even started. Hopefully, Shacklebolt would be able to keep the older man in check and to top it off, the Auror was an accomplished interrogator. She shared a look with Harry again and decided to call the meeting to an end. There was nothing else which needed to be discussed at the moment.

* * *

After Draco had seen Pansy the last time, he had cancelled any further stay in his rented room in Hogsmeade. Instead, he had moved back to the house of Snape's mother. There had been no other reason for him to stay in that room any longer. Pansy was a lost case as long as she was wearing that damned bracelet. Sneaking into Hogwarts would only mean a risk, which was something he could not really afford to take. But then again... Sometimes, you just didn't have any other choice.

Now, he was sitting in the guestroom Snape let him stay in. At the sound of his name being called from downstairs, he left the bedroom and went downstairs to see what all the ruckus was about.

Severus grumbled as he waited for Draco to come down from the guest room. Tapping his foot impatiently, he looked up the staircase for any sign of the younger man. When Draco appeared Severus immediately turned around and walked into the living room. "Come along, Draco. We have somewhere to be." He snapped and threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, watching as the flames flashed green.

Draco frowned for a moment, before following Snape into the living room. He looked at the green flames with a sigh. He had a pretty good idea of where they were going, but he couldn't say he was exactly looking forward to it.

Severus grimaced as he spoke the address and stepped into the flames. He was about to voluntarily enter Potter's home, something he had never imagined he would do. He walked out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place, a sneer firmly set on his face. Exiting the room without waiting for Draco, he wandered down the hallway until he came to the drawing room. The sneer evolved into a scowl when he saw the three brats sitting on the sofa and the armchairs. Severus knocked once on the doorsill to get their attention.

Ron groaned and flipped another page in the heavy tome he was reading. Suddenly, he looked up at the sound of a knock and found Snape standing in the doorway. "Snape!" He exclaimed and rose from his seat, letting the book fall to the floor.

Hermione and Harry both looked up. Harry simply returned to his book, while Hermione rolled her eyes. She stood up, too, closing Regulus' diary and holding it in front of her chest. She took a step forward and stood next to Ron, waiting for Snape to say something. Harry simply refused to get up and acknowledge Snape's presence with a greeting. It was _his_ house and he would welcome anyone he wanted, or not.

Draco stepped out of the fireplace with a cough, looking around. Where was he? He frowned and sauntered through the hallway. Against the wall, he saw a set of heavy drapes. '_I wonder what's behind these..._' He thought to himself, before glancing over his shoulder. Surely, no one would mind, right? He pulled them apart a bit and stuck his head between. The portrait of Mrs. Black began screeching and shrieking, causing Draco to yelp and back away quickly until his back hit the wall, while the other portraits began to yell and shout, too.

Severus stared at the three teenagers, but didn't say anything. When Draco finally arrived, they would have enough to talk about. Until then, he didn't need to attempt at playing nice with them. Suddenly, he whirled around when the well known and loathed voice of Mrs. Black began screaming several obscenities. Hermione frowned. It was a bit _late_ for Mrs. Black to start screaming now. Snape was already standing in the doorway.

Severus stalked out into the hallway and saw Draco standing in front of the portrait. The boy was staring at the woman in the frame with a stunned look on his face. "Idiot brat." He muttered and stepped in front of Draco. He glared at Mrs. Black and took a firm hold of the curtains. "Do shut up, you old crone!" He growled as he pulled the curtains shut. Looking at the other portraits, he snapped. "That applies to the rest of you as well."

Turning around, Severus looked at Draco with an arched eyebrow. "Draco, please refrain from touching anything in this house." Then he motioned for the boy to follow him as he walked back to the drawing room. The boy nodded weakly and obeyed.

Hermione's eyes widened and she tightened her grip on the diary at the sight of the familiar blond Slytherin. "Malfoy." She coolly said.

"Malfoy." Ron spat venomously and took a step forward, his wand clutched tightly in his hand. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing here, Ferret?" He glared the pale Slytherin and fought the urge to hex him, but he wanted to. He wanted to hex Malfoy very much and as painfully as possible. He began to raise his wand and thought of the first curse which came to his mind. Malfoy would look much better with boils.

"Mr. Weasley." Severus interrupted. "Kindly stop yourself before you do something you might regret later." He looked at the red headed teen coldly. "As amusing as it might be, we did not come here to watch you act like a herd of uncivilized hippogriffs all on your own."

At the sound of Malfoy's name, Harry got up from his seat, face set in a scowl. He dropped the book on the table with a thud, before wringing himself between Ron and Hermione. He gave Snape a nasty glare, before pushing Ron's wand arm down. "No, Ron." He coldly said. "This one's on me." He strode forward, hate gleaming in his eyes as he started to push his sleeves up.

Hermione shook her head, rubbing at her face. This was not going well. Not at all. Draco swallowed with difficulty at the sight of Potter stalking towards him. He held his hands up in defence as he stepped back, trying to get Potter to calm down. "P-Potter..." He stammered, but that was all that he could think off.

"I _owe_ you something, Malfoy." Harry hissed under his breath, cracking his knuckles. "And you know what? I won't even bother to use my wand..." In the blink of eye, there was a rather loud crack and a yelp as Harry broke Malfoy's nose.

It was bleeding profusely and Malfoy was scrunching his eyes shut against the pain, holding his hands over his nose and biting back some tears. Harry didn't even bother to spare him another glance, walking back into the drawing room. He stopped half a step ahead of Snape, glancing sideward at him. "I thought we were quite clear on the fact that I didn't want him in my house."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Quite. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. As much as I loathe to be here, I am because it is necessary. So is Mr. Malfoy. If you cannot act civil towards each other, then what does it say of your chances of winning?" He didn't move an inch from his position and kept his voice in a low, steady hiss. "Mr. Malfoy has information, which needs to be shared and examined. I don't fancy myself acting as a messenger, having to repeat myself or information more than once is tedious."

"Could have owled or fire-called. Would have saved you the trouble. And Malfoy a broken nose." Harry coolly replied, before setting himself down on the sofa again. He looked at the others in the room. "Well, feel free to remain standing." He snorted, looking at Snape. "What information do you have?"

"Don't mind if I do." Severus sneered and stared down at the Potter brat. "Last October, Mr. Malfoy was given another assignment by the Dark Lord… as a test of loyalty to him." He looked sharply at Draco, silently ordering him to start talking as he had no intention to keep talking for the boy when he had a voice of his own.

"I-I was supposed to retrieve a bracelet from Hogwarts." Draco began, not looking up at Potter or any of the others and still trying to get his nose to stop bleeding. "A silver bracelet with a bronze eagle..."

Hermione left the room quietly, disappearing into the kitchen, only to come back a minute later with an ice pack. She took out her wand with a sigh. "Sit still for a second." She mumbled. "Episkey." After healing his nose, she handed him the ice pack. "Press that to your nose."

"Thanks." Draco muttered back, grimacing as he pressed the coldness against his face. He continued his story. "I didn't really know where to look for it. Hogwarts is big..."

"Like we don't know that, Malfoy." Harry snorted. "Get on with it."

"Yeah, fine, fine." He sighed. "I met with some of my former housemates and I found out that..."

Suddenly, Harry remembered something. He cursed. "... Parkinson is wearing that bracelet, isn't she?" He interrupted.

Draco blinked. "Yeah... How do you know?"

Ron glared at Malfoy as he stood beside Hermione while she was healing the Slytherin's nose. He tapped the tip of his wand against his elbow idly, occasionally twirling it around. He kept a watchful eye on the blond, daring him to do anything that would allow Ron to hex him.

Severus looked at Potter with narrowed eyes. "Yes, Mr. Potter. How exactly do you know that Ms. Parkinson is wearing the very bracelet Mr. Malfoy was searching for?"

Harry gave Snape a cold look. "I saw it on her the night she was Marked. Briefly, in a flash."

"Grand." Malfoy muttered. "I don't have to tell you that part anymore either."

Severus scoffed and tilted his head slightly to the side. "I see. Tell me, Mr. Potter. Have you lost what little of your mind you had to begin with?"

"No." Harry growled, before glaring at Malfoy, almost daring him to open his mouth and say something.

But Draco kept quiet. He was not really in the position to make witty retorts and he would try to refrain from doing so for a bit longer. He just silently kept the ice pressed against the bridge of his nose, waiting until he was allowed to go on with his story.

He finally moved from his spot by the threshold to the drawing room and walked further into the room. "You had a vision of Miss Parkinson's marking. Tell me, did you not listen to anything you were taught?" Severus said coldly as he glared at the Potter boy. "Mr. Potter, you did not keep up with your lessons."

"Oh yeah, like I haven't had other things on my mind for the last months." Harry snarled. "You are not my teacher anymore. Why don't you just sod off with your bloody lessons?"

"_Hey_!" Hermione shouted. "Stop it! If this is supposed to be part of Malfoy's story, then fine, but it _isn't_. So shut the bloody hell up, both of you!" She motioned for Malfoy to go on.

Harry looked at Hermione and blinked. Had she just yelled at him? Wait... At _both_ of them?

Severus stared at the girl for a short moment through slitted eyes, hiding his shock. He scoffed and crossed his arm. "Indeed. Draco, go on." He said curtly.

"As you apparently know, Pansy was Marked." Draco uneasily said. "But since she's been wearing that bracelet, she's been acting strange. I barely recognise her anymore." He paused. "Something or someone seems to be _toying_ with her. Snape thinks the bracelet might be one of these Horcrux things you're looking for..."

Ron blinked and stared at Malfoy suspiciously, then at Snape. "A Horcrux? You told him about them?"

"I did, Mr. Weasley. Would you rather have him asking questions when there is no time to answer them?" Severus snorted. "The bracelet seems to have taken over her mind and actions. It has a mind of its own, I'm sure. And since the Dark Lord is most interested in it, I doubt it could be anything but a Horcrux."

"Ron, that is not our biggest problem right now." Hermione sniffed. "A Death Eater has a Horcrux in her possession. She probably doesn't even realise what it is, other than a pretty bracelet."

"Hermione's right." Harry nodded in agreement, glancing at Ron before looking back at Snape and Malfoy. "You expect us to come up with a way to get it off her, I take it?"

"Means to an end, Mr. Potter." Severus said. "I consented to help you with the destruction of the Horcruxes. Thus I believe it might be more successful if we have the Horcruxes to destroy. Other than the locket, there are still quite a few which need to be dealt with." He looked at Potter and arched an eyebrow. "Also, you will need Occlumency lessons again. You cannot let yourself stay open to the Dark Lord's prying mind. Miss Parkinson's Marking was not the only event you have witnessed through your dreams, was it?"

"I've managed just fine." Harry mumbled with a slight growl. "I only saw Parkinson getting the Dark Mark and that Muggle village being attacked way back at the end of July..."

Severus sighed. "Indeed. And perhaps it was because he wanted you to see those events take place. Which would mean that the Dark Lord can still access your mind as you sleep. That will simply not do, Mr. Potter." He said with a disapproving frown. "What if he manages to look into your thoughts and see what you know of the Horcruxes? Or perhaps Mr. Malfoy's and my own defection from his ranks? What if he sees where you are living? You _will_ learn Occlumency, Mr. Potter."

"We will deal with Occlumency later." Harry darkly said. "Currently, I'm more interested in that bracelet Parkinson is wearing. We'll let you know when we come up with a plan."

Severus snorted and whirled around, his robes billowing behind him as he left the room. "Very well. Draco, come along." He ordered and stalked toward the fireplace. He waited silently for the younger Slytherin to follow, then threw the Floo powder into the flames and called out the name of his mother's house. Severus stepped into the green flames and was sent off with a whoosh, Draco close behind him.

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, relieved that those other two were gone. "We'll need a plan. We'll owl McGonagall, Lupin and Tonks later. They might be able to help us." The others simply nodded.

* * *

A few days later, the six of them were sitting around the kitchen table. Well, actually, only five of them, since Harry was standing up, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"So we have to come up with a plan to get that bracelet off the Parkinson girl?" Tonks cocked an eyebrow.

"That's right." Hermione nodded.

"Sounds so easy." Tonks shrugged. "I just don't understand how Malfoy couldn't succeed in getting it off her. Parkinson should trust Malfoy, shouldn't she? And even if she didn't, Malfoy is a whole lot stronger than she is."

Harry had his arms crossed in front of his chest and refrained from lashing out. He had explained in his owl to McGonagall that the bracelet was a Horcrux, but he had also asked not to give that information to Remus and Tonks. At least not now. Part of him felt guilty because of it, but the other part decided that the less they knew, the better. Anyway, he hated dumb remarks. This meeting was not about what Malfoy could and could not do. It was about thinking up a plan to get that bracelet into their possession.

He spoke up. "I don't believe that is the point of this meeting." His tone of voice was cool and sharp enough to show that he just wanted to get to the bottom of this. "We are here to think up a plan. Suggestions?"

Tonks shut her mouth and cast a glance at Remus, but he, too, remained silent. Hermione looked at Harry.

"Considering Malfoy failed before, I'd say we'd lure her into a trap." She said, looking around the room. "Things would be a lot easier if there would be more of us."

"I agree." Ron nodded. "More of us would mean more wands when she tries to pull a trick on us."

Harry looked at the three adults. They were also nodding. '_Going well so far..._' He thought to himself.

"I suggest we let Draco Malfoy lead her into an unused classroom." Remus offered. "We could be waiting there."

"Wait..." Tonks held up her hands. "Where do we take her after that?"

They all looked at each other, frowning. It was silent in the kitchen for a few moments, before Harry made the decision.

"We'll bring her here." He firmly said.

"Harry, that's not very wise." McGonagall spoke up. "Bringing a Death Eater into your house is not a very safe thing."

"Yes, you would know everything about that, wouldn't you?" Harry snapped, narrowing his eyes at the Headmistress. "But it's still my house and I say we bring her here for the time being. There's always the option of relocating her later."

"What do we use as an excuse?" Ron frowned. "I mean... Isn't someone likely to ask questions if Parkinson just disappears like that?"

"What if we talked to Pomfrey?" Hermione suggested. "If anyone asks, she could say Parkinson caught some contagious illness and is required to stay under her supervision, without any visitors allowed?"

"I can do that." Tonks raised her hand. "I'll go talk to her after we capture the girl."

"That would work." Remus nodded. "And everybody knows Poppy is not a woman to be messed with. I don't think anyone would be suspicious if Poppy says the girl cannot have any visitors."There were approving mumbles around the room, heads nodding. Harry pushed himself away from the counter.

"That's settled then." He spoke up with a nod. "We'll lure her into an empty classroom and get to her there. Tonks, you'll inform Pomfrey afterwards."

"When are we going to do this, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"As soon as possible." Harry replied, running a hand through his hair. "In two days. That will give Malfoy another twenty-four hours to prepare himself when we owl him tomorrow."

"So in two days time?" Tonks repeated.

Harry nodded. "Yes. In two days time."


	12. 12 De Tendiculis et Quaesitionibus

Title : Ars Virgarum – De Tendiculis et Quaesitionibus  
Authors : draco_crescendo & xnuinx

Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : essayel & flosspyromaniac  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-12-78120362

* * *

_12 - De Tendiculis et Quaesitionibus _

"Come on, Malfoy. Tell us what you know." Alastor Moody groused at the man in front of him. Lucius Malfoy was sitting on a rickety, wooden chair, one of his long legs crossed over the other and his arms mirroring them. His face was gaunt and paler than usual after nearly a year and a half in one of Azkaban's cells. Though he looked far more healthy than any of the previous prisoners since the Dementors were no longer patrolling the dismal hallways.

Moody grumbled when Malfoy simply smirked and arched an eyebrow. The elder Malfoy hadn't spoken a word since Moody and Kingsley had entered his quaint private cell in the lower levels of Azkaban prison. The cell had no windows as it was underground and the only source of light were the torches the two men had brought with them and the small lamp standing beside the cot by the wall.

Pacing back and forth in front of the white blond wizard sitting regally on the unstable chair as if it was a throne, Moody muttered and cursed under his breath. Suddenly, he whirled around and pointed the tip of his wand at the throat of the unfazed prisoner. Malfoy just kept looking at him with an infuriating smirk, completely calm and collected. Moody growled and pressed the tip further into the soft hollow of Malfoy's throat. "Talk, Malfoy." He ordered and leaned his body into the personal space of the other man. Lucius Malfoy neither flinched nor reared back to get more space between them. He simply stared at Moody.

"What do you know about You-Know-Who's plans?" Moody questioned as he prodded Malfoy with his wand once before pulling it away.

The prisoner remained silent and then the first movement he made in several minutes was to change the position of his arms by uncrossing and crossing them again. He slowly cocked his head and studied Moody.

"Where is You-Know-Who hiding?" Moody tried a different question. He growled when all Malfoy did was look bored.

"Who are his followers? Do they work for the Ministry?" He asked with scowl. Moody desperately wanted to curse the annoying pest in front of him. But he knew that Kingsley would certainly move from his spot a few feet behind him for the first time since they had entered the cell, if he started practicing hexes on Malfoy. Stepping away from the white-blond man, Moody walked around the small table in the centre of the room, which had been brought in to hold a still unused tea tray. Snarling with anger, he slammed his hand with the palm open facedown onto the table, watching with satisfaction as it rattled from the force of the blow.

"Do you really think your lord will come for you, to break you out? Or your family, would they?" Moody attempted a different tactic as he looked at Malfoy from the other side of the table. He wanted to play on the man's feelings. Did he feel abandoned by his master? "Why would he come for you now? You've already been here more than a year."

Suddenly, Moody found himself pinned by the cold, grey eyes of the man he was interrogating. He could see Malfoy's jaw clench with anger and white wisps of air puffed from his nostrils into the cold air of the damp cell. Finally, he had gotten a reaction from Malfoy. But he soon grew exasperated again as the other man smoothly composed himself and the smirk was back in place. Glaring at Malfoy, Moody stalked around the table to stand in front of him. He had had enough. Looking at the blond, he raised his hand and brought it down upon Malfoy's right cheek with a whack, causing Malfoy's head to be jerked to the side by the sheer force of the blow. "Speak, Malfoy."

"Moody!" Kingsley stepped forward to pull him away from the man now holding his red cheek with a hand.

"Shut up, Kingsley. He had it coming. If not more." Moody grumbled, but moved away from Malfoy anyway. He began to pace again, casting occasional glances at the blond. Malfoy just followed his movements with his eyes.

Moody narrowed his eyes and once again stepped into Malfoy's personal space, jabbing his wand at the sternum of the man who was now eyeing him coolly. "What do you know about Horcruxes, Malfoy? Talk! Merlin, damn it!"

Finally, Malfoy opened his mouth and Moody watched in anticipation, only to see a pink tongue dart out to lick at chapped lips before disappearing into the blond's mouth again. Moody roared with aggravation.

"Moody, I don't think we'll get anything out of him." Kingsley said and walked to the cell door, tapping it twice to let the guards outside know that they wanted to leave. "We're done here."

"We are not!" Moody snapped. "I will make him talk." He began to roll his sleeves up and gripped his wand tightly, ready to hex Malfoy. "I'm advising you to talk, Malfoy. Or I will show you why I was the one who captured all your little friends before You-Know-Who's fall."

Malfoy remained silent and arched an eyebrow in challenge.

Moody raised his wand, a spell ready on his tongue when Kingsley grabbed onto his shoulders and forcibly pulled him out of the cell. "Kingsley!" He hissed and jerked out of the taller man's grip, once they were outside in the hallway with the door to the cell closed firmly behind them.

"We are leaving, Moody." Kingsley said shortly and walked toward the stairs which would lead them outside of Azkaban. "We won't get any information from him."

Moody grumbled and followed the tall Auror. "I could have hexed it out of him!" He protested. "Malfoy would have been singing whole arias by the time I'd be done with him."

Kingsley sighed, but kept walking until they was on outside of the prison. "We need to report to Lupin and the others." With that he Apparated away, Moody following shortly after, a scowl on his face.

* * *

"_Malfoy,_

_Get Parkinson into the unused classroom at the end of the hallway on the third floor. Doesn't matter how. Tomorrow afternoon. 4:30PM. Bring Snape. Don't mess up._

_~H. Potter, R. Weasley & H. Granger.__"_

* * *

"_Pansy,_

_I'm really sorry about the other day. I don't know what I was thinking. Everything has changed since last year and it's making me nervous. You always were my best friend. You know that, don't you?_

_I want to make it up to you. I just want to talk to you. Meet me at the end of the hallway on the third floor tomorrow at four-thirty. __Please._

_~Draco.__"_

* * *

Pansy was sitting on the edge of her large four-poster bed in the girls' dormitory. She held her wrist a few inches away from her face and her mouth was slowly forming words, but no sound came out. In her other hand, which rested on the green covers of her bed, she clutched a piece of parchment.

_"Do not go, Pansy. I have nothing but bad feelings about this."_ Tom murmured sweetly and his voice sounded sincere enough. But Pansy was, for once, not allowing herself to be swayed by Tom's sweet voice.

"No, Tom. Please, I have to meet him. He would never betray me." Pansy spoke aloud for the first time.

_"He would, given the chance."_ Tom sneered viciously.

Pansy sighed and rose from the bed. She walked out of the dormitory and through the common room toward the entrance, while Tom kept protesting and demanding that she listened to him. She gripped the sides of her head and shook it, trying to get him to shut up. "Tom, he wants to make it up to me." She whispered.

_"He wants to set you up, to take the bracelet."_ Tom huffed indignantly. _"You just don't want to acknowledge that. Silly girl."_

"No." Pansy objected as she turned around a corner. "He wouldn't."

_"And what about the last time?"_ He asked snidely.

She heaved a sigh. "I trust Draco." Finally, she arrived at the end of the hallway as Draco had requested. Pansy looked around for any sign of Draco. But when she didn't see him, she leaned against the wall and decided to wait for just a little while.

Draco stepped out of the shadows when she arrived. "Hey," he softly said, "I'm glad you decided to come."

Pansy whirled around at the sound of Draco's voice, her hand clutched over her chest. "Don't do that, Draco!"

He gave a small smile. "Sorry, Pansy, I didn't mean to scare you." He glanced nervously around the hallway. "Come on, let's talk in here." He grabbed Pansy's hand and dragged her into an empty, dusty classroom, closing the door behind them.

He wasn't really looking forward to this. He felt like he was betraying his best friend and somehow, it seemed wrong. '_She's not your best friend anymore._' He thought to himself with a sigh. '_That bracelet has taken over her mind. Don't let yourself be fooled._' Draco sat himself down on one of the dirty desks, pretending to make himself comfortable.

She shivered as she looked around the dust covered room, from the look of it the classroom had not been used for quite some time. Mirroring Draco's movements, she sat down on a desk. Pansy turned her attention back to Draco and studied him. "So…"

_"Pansy, get out of here now! I demand you leave this room instantly!"_ Tom yelled angrily.

Pansy shook her head, she wanted to hear what Draco would say. Draco heaved a sigh. He was not very comfortable doing this, but he had to do something soon before Pansy would start catching onto what he was up to.

"I'm sorry, Pansy." He whispered, keeping his gaze on hers as the others closed in on them.

Ron, Hermione, Harry, Snape, Remus and Tonks emerged from the shadows, wands drawn. They crept closer. Ron blocked the door, while Remus grabbed her tightly by the arm. Draco got up from his spot on the desk and moved back a few steps, drawing his own wand.

Her eyes widened as she saw the people who now surrounded her; Potter and his friends, her former DADA teacher and one of the Aurors who patrolled the grounds and castle. Turning her attention to Draco, who had moved toward the back of the room, she swallowed a lump in her throat. He set her up. Draco had betrayed her. But why? And why had he betrayed her to Potter?

_"I told you so, you foolish, stupid girl!"_ Tom yelled. _"You trusted that little worm and he sent you into the lion's den. Stupid, ignorant child!"_

"Draco…" Pansy whimpered. "What…?"

"If I could have done this any other way, I would have." Draco quietly said. "It's for your own good, Pansy."

"You… My own good?!" She stared at him. "You're handing me over to Potter?" Pansy spat and struggled against the tight grip Professor Lupin had on her arms, when Tom kept yelling at her to get away. "Why?"

"Because I have to." Draco's eyes narrowed. "Pansy, don't make this any harder on yourself." He pointed his wand at her.

The others had their wands aimed at her, too. Draco knew they wouldn't hesitate to hex her and he prayed to Merlin she would listen to reason. Ron still stood in front of the door, his wand pointing at Parkinson's chest.

"Stop right there, Parkinson." Harry spoke up. "You are outnumbered. Come along quietly and no one gets hurt."

Pansy looked at the wand pointed at her chest, then at Potter and she sneered. "The hell I will, Potter." She tried to wrestle out of Lupin's hold, but for someone who looked so sickly, the man was surprisingly strong. She twisted, squirmed and wriggled; anything in an attempt to get away.

_"Pansy, get out of here, now!"_ Tom ordered sharply.

"I'm trying." She hissed. Finally, she raised her foot and brought it down, hard, on Lupin's foot with a determined expression on her face.

Remus let out a yelp and released her arm. "Sodding child!" He gritted his teeth.

Tonks' eyes darkened. "If you want to play it that way..." She glanced at the others with a nod and they all started to close in on her, trapping her in the middle.

Pansy glared at each of them one after the other until her eyes came to rest on Draco. She began to back away, but found herself trapped as she bumped into chest of Lupin and the others had surrounded her from all sides. There was no way out. Seven wands were directed at her and it would only take a second for each to cast a hex or curse at her. But she was not going to give up.

_"Good girl."_ Tom appraised her for the first time since this mess has been sprung on her. _"Now, get away. Kick, scream, curse them for Salazar's sake! You are a witch!"_

Pansy nodded and began to reach for her wand, but before the tips of her fingers could even touch it she was grabbed from behind again. Hermione had one hand fisted in Pansy's robes and the other arm around her neck, the tip of her wand prodding in the side of Pansy's neck.

"Give me a reason, Parkinson." She hissed in her ear.

Pansy froze at the tone of voice coming from the Mudblood. Granger meant it. She gulped and let her body relax slightly, hoping to lure the other witch into a false sense of security so that she could try and break free. Hermione felt her relax, but she was not fooled. She held her tightly, waiting for someone to say what she should do.

When Granger didn't loosen her hold, Pansy silently cursed. '_Damn that Mudblood._' She decided to try to get away again and began to struggle. Granger was a girl and shouldn't be strong enough to be able to hold onto her for long. "Let go!" Pansy shrieked.

Hermione winced when Pansy elbowed her in the side, but didn't let go. She looked at the others for help. Harry was the first to react.

"Stupefy." He said, watching Pansy go rigid. "You can let go now, Hermione." Hermione nodded and took a step back, while Harry walked up to the Slytherin girl. "And now, let's get rid of _this_..." He reached for the bracelet on Pansy's right wrist.

"No." Severus interrupted and walked over to stand beside Potter by the stunned girl. He grabbed onto the boy's arm and stopped him from pulling the bracelet off. "Leave it, Mr. Potter. We do not know how it will affect Miss Parkinson if we simply rip the bracelet of her. It has formed a connection with her mind, she could be damaged by its removal."

Harry stood there for a moment, before nodding. "Right." He muttered, before letting his arm fall back to his side, away from Snape's grip. He watched his friends put their wands away. He looked at Tonks. "You'll go to Pomfrey?"

"On it!" Tonks exclaimed with a grin as she exited the room.

"How are you going to take her to Grimmauld Place without anyone noticing?" Remus asked. "It's going to look a bit suspicious if you have her floating through the hallways."

"I brought my cloak." Harry pulled his father's invisibility cloak out of his pocket and enlarged it to its normal size. He pointed his wand at Parkinson and muttered a Levicorpus spell, before throwing his cloak over her. "There. Ready to leave."

Severus sneered at the sight of the invisibility cloak, but couldn't deny that it was practical. He turned around and began to walk out of the door, calling for Draco to follow. It was time they left this place. He didn't want the memories to pop up in his mind uninvited, memories he would rather forget. Draco took a last glance at where Pansy was supposed to be as Potter and his friends levitated her out of the room under the cloak, before following Snape.

In the mean while, Tonks had reached the hospital wing. Pomfrey was just busy healing the nose of a first year Ravenclaw. Tonks patiently waited for her to send the boy out before cocking an eyebrow.

"Little fool tried to levitate a rock with Flitwick's silly Wingardium Leviosa." Pomfrey said with a small smile. "That didn't really go according to plan. Those Ravenclaws will never change, Tonks."

"I think that's the point of being sorted into one of the Houses." Tonks grinned, before her expression hardened. "I'm here for something else, though. We're in the process of moving Pansy Parkinson out of the castle, but nobody is to find out the exact reason."

"Parkinson?" Pomfrey frowned. "What has she done?"

"That's of no importance. The less you know, Poppy, the better." Tonks shook her head. "But that's the reason I'm here. If anyone comes to ask, could you tell them she's caught some contagious illness?"

The nurse nodded. "She is not allowed to have any visitors?"

"Right."

"I take it she will not be returning to classes soon, is she?"

"I doubt it." Tonks sighed. "It's rather complicated."

"Of course." Pomfrey nodded again. "So no visitors."

"Doesn't matter if it's a student or a teacher who asks. No one can find out where she actually is."

"Consider it done, Tonks."

* * *

Severus Floo-ed off from his mother's house with Draco in tow once again after having consumed a light dinner. While the boy had cleaned up the kitchen, he checked his mother's spell books for a certain spell he knew would be useful. Stepping out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place, Severus immediately walked toward the buzzing noise of conversation. He entered the kitchen to find Potter, Weasley and Granger chatting as they ate their dinner.

"Where have you placed Miss Parkinson?" He asked, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Harry looked up and swallowed his food with a scowl. "First floor. Third door." He coolly said, getting up.

Hermione and Ron started to get up, too, but Harry motioned for them to continue their dinner. He wiped his mouth on his napkin and left the kitchen.

Severus nodded and turned around, moving up the stairs in a quick pace. As he came to the door specified by Potter, he opened it without hesitation and entered. Parkinson had been placed on the bed by the wall at the other side of the room, still stunned.

He quickly closed the distance between the bed and himself and drew his wand. Pointing it at the girl, he spoke. "Enervate."

Pansy blinked and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. When she noticed Snape standing above her with his wand directed at her, she jerked away and tried to get up, to reach for her wand, to do anything but allow him to cast any sort of spell on her. But before she could get out of the bed, he muttered a couple of words under his breath. Parkinson was soon covered in warm golden glow and Severus smirked, the spell had taken a hold of her. He watched her promptly pass out, her breathing evened out as she slowly drifted further into the land of sleep.

Draco was watching from the corner. He felt guilty for betraying her, but he knew he had done the right thing. Hadn't he? He ran a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. Harry had followed them up and was now leaning against the doorframe.

"What did you just do to her?" He asked.

"Put her into a bewitched sleep, so to speak." Severus answered, checking Parkinson for any signs of injury. "The strain the Stunning Spell puts on her body would eventually have damaged her. The spell is designed for use during short periods of time, in which the caster is allowed to bind or restrain the affected person. If the stunned person is left like that for longer than necessary the body will begin to crumble under the stress put on the muscle tissue." He explained with a sigh.

Harry was about to say something when he heard someone coming through the Floo-network downstairs. He heaved a sigh and turned around to go see who it was. "My house looks like a bloody hotel. People just keep coming and going." He mumbled as he descended the stairs.

Hermione was waiting at the foot of the stairs. "It's Lupin." She said. "He's in the drawing room."

"Good." Harry nodded. "Get Ron in there, too."

Hermione nodded and went back to the kitchen to tell Ron to leave the dishes for a while. Harry walked into the drawing room, greeting Lupin. He sat down on the sofa, waiting for Ron and Hermione to join them.

"Lupin." Severus grumbled. "Perfect…" He finished his examination of Parkinson. "Stay here, Draco. Keep an eye on her in case something should go wrong." He spared a short glance at the boy, before following Potter down the stairs and into the drawing room, but stayed by the door in case he needed to leave with haste.

Draco just blinked and watched Snape leave. He turned his attention to Pansy, pulling a chair up to the side of the bed and sitting down.

Ron and Hermione came in and took a seat themselves, before turning their attention to Lupin. Lupin did not look too happy. Hermione frowned, but before she got a chance to ask, he started talking.

"Moody and Shacklebolt failed to make Lucius talk." He began. "Moody was pretty worked up about it, but Lucius remained silent."

"See?" Harry turned to look at Hermione. "I told you this was a bad plan."

"It was still better than sitting around and doing nothing." Hermione sniffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"And what exactly did you plan on achieving by questioning Malfoy Senior?" Severus arched an eyebrow, staring at the group intently from his spot by the doorsill.

"Hermione thought the Aurors could get something out of him that would help us with out search for the Horcruxes." Harry snorted.

"Hey!" Hermione snapped. "I didn't hear you coming up with a better plan!"

"Hn. Lucius Malfoy would never tell you anything, even if he did know something of any worth." Severus rolled his eyes and pushed himself away from the wall, taking a few steps closer to the group. "Perhaps instead of questioning the man, who will not talk, you should investigate his home."

"It still was better than nothing." Hermione mumbled.

Harry ignored Hermione and looked at Snape. "Malfoy Manor? How do you suggest we get in there with Mrs. Malfoy still there? Not like she would welcome us with open eyes and offer us tea and biscuits." He bit out.

Severus smirked and looked at the Potter boy. "Quite simple, I can enter the manor should I wish, Mr. Potter. As a _friend_ of the family, I have a standing invitation to enter whenever I want." He shrugged lightly.

"What do you expect to find at the Manor, Severus?" Remus quirked an eyebrow.

"More answers than could ever come from Malfoy's mouth, Lupin." Severus sneered and glared at the werewolf. "How many secret compartments do you think exist inside the manor walls? If you want a Dark Arts artefact, then perhaps searching the house of one of the most _trusted followers_ of the Dark Lord would be more beneficial."

"It all depends on whether you know where to find them." Lupin darkly said.

Harry looked between the two men and rolled his eyes, addressing Snape again. "Do you?"

Severus nodded, transferring his gaze from Lupin to Potter for a short moment. "I have an incline as to where they would be, yes."

"Why didn't Malfoy tell us when you brought him in?" Hermione frowned.

Snorting, Severus shook his head. "Perhaps he had other things on his mind, Miss Granger? He was, after all, in foreign territory at the time. However, I doubt he knows much of their existence. The compartments are something his father took pride in keeping secret since he has never mentioned them specifically."

"Will you take us there or not?" Harry cut in, impatient.

Severus rolled his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh. Muttering under his breath about 'impudent and impatient brats', he nodded. "Otherwise, I would not have suggested it, Mr. Potter. Let alone told you that I can enter the Manor at a moment's notice."

"I cannot believe you kept that information from the Order for years, Severus." Lupin crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Who knows what we could have found there. We probably could have prevented a large number of incidents."

"Yes, of course, why didn't I? Certainly the manor's residents would have allowed the Order to waltz in and upend the entire place. Considering the Malfoy's former status and power, the Ministry would undoubtedly have allowed such a search for no _plausible_ reason. I can see the error of my ways now. Thank you for the clarification, Lupin." Severus sneered at the other man.

"It wouldn't be the first time Malfoy Manor was searched." Lupin rolled his eyes. "Arthur was part of it a number of times."

"Arthur Weasley, yes. He could very well search through the house without further alarm, given the splendid relationship between the two families." Severus snorted. "But what if the compartments were found within moments of searching? How would that be explained? I am quite sure the compartments are well hidden, placed under numerous spells and wards. Not even the youngest Malfoy knows exactly where they are. If they were found so easily, then it would be known that someone had alerted others of their whereabouts. Who would be the first Malfoy would suspect?" He arched an eyebrow and glared coldly at Lupin.

Remus was about to snarl back when Harry interrupted again. "When?" He coolly asked.

"Perhaps as soon as possible would be in order?" Severus offered with a shrug.

"What about now?" Harry cocked an eyebrow.

* * *

Draco didn't have the faintest clue of what was going on downstairs and at the moment, he couldn't say he really cared either. He was mulling his decisions over and over in his mind. Had it been the right thing to do? He had turned away from the Dark Lord, betrayed his best friend and jumped on the train with Potter and the gang. He inwardly snorted. His father would be furious if he ever found out. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands, closing his eyes.

He was weak. He had to admit it to himself. Snape had been right. Draco hadn't been ready to join You-Know-Who's ranks. He had been too young and unprepared. His father had always told him that he would have to get involved some day, but the day had come too soon. He had been so confident in his own abilities that he had forgotten to think about the consequences. The truth was that failure had crossed his mind once or twice, but Draco had never dared to dwell on it. He knew that failure was not to be accepted. '_But you failed anyway, didn't you?_' The little voice in the back of his head sneered. '_You are weak._'

He willed the voice to shut up and heaved a sigh, looking up to watch Pansy lying on the bed. Snape had put her in a deep sleep. Draco wondered how they were going to remove that bracelet, but he figured that would be up to Potter and his friends. He felt guilty for betraying Pansy to them, but it had been the best option. '_For her or for you?_' The voice in his mind sneered. He sighed again.

Pansy would be safer here than she would be at Hogwarts under the influence of that Horcrux-thing. That much was for sure. He took her hand in his, looking at it. The skin was sickly pale and rather cool to the touch. He wondered if that was normal, but as long as he could feel her pulse, he reckoned she'd be fine in the end.

"I'm sorry, Pansy." He whispered. "I'm sorry I betrayed you. But even more because you became involved into this mess. I never meant for this to happen..."

He stopped talking at the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs. With Pansy's hand still in his and a frown on his face, he turned around to see who would be coming through the door.


	13. 13 De Ritibus Ultimis

Title : Ars Virgarum - _De Ritibus Ultimis _  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-13-78120596

* * *

_13 - De Ritibus Ultimis _

Severus entered the room where he had left Draco and Pansy earlier, without knocking. Looking at the boy, he stepped closer and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Draco, I am going to take you back to my mother's home."

Draco frowned. "Why? What's going on?"

"The Potter gang and I are leaving to inspect a possible lead in the search for more Horcruxes. I doubt Potter would want you to stay here." Severus turned around and began to walk out of the room again. "Miss Parkinson will be fine here. Lupin will keep an eye on her until we return."

"Yeah, he'd probably think I'd burn this place down or something." Draco snorted. "Why can't I come along? Since you're apparently taking all of them with you." He got up from the chair, giving Pansy one last look before following Snape down the stairs.

"I would rather have you stay away from where we are going, Draco." Severus said as he looked over his shoulder at Draco. "It is not safe as it is, and we might be accosted by Aurors."

"Oh. Fine. I guess." Draco mumbled with a shrug. He tried not show his disappointment. Not that he fancied joining Potter and his friends wherever they were going, but everything would be better than sitting at that dratted house by himself until Snape chose to come back.

Downstairs, he headed straight for the fireplace. He didn't really want to face Potter, Granger and Weasley right now. He figured Snape would indulge him when he thought it necessary. He stepped into the fireplace, dropped a handful of Floo powder and Floo-ed off in a sea of green flames.

Severus watched as the boy Floo-ed off before walking back to the drawing to join the others. He leaned against the wall, putting as much space as possible between Potter and his friends and himself. He would rather be somewhere else, but if it was necessary he would have to deal with Potter's presence.

When the Gryffindors showed no intention of leaving, he grumbled. "Are you all quite ready to leave? You were the one who wanted to do this now, Mr. Potter."

Ron was fumbling with the fastenings of his robes, trying to tie them as quickly as possible. He sighed and turned to Hermione when he only got his fingers tangled further into the ties. Looking at her with what he thought was a pleading look, Ron nudged Hermione's shoulder.

Hermione looked at him, then down at his robes and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ronald." She mumbled, untangling the ties from his fingers, before fastening them.

Harry shook his head at his friends before getting up and glancing at Snape. "Lead the way."

Severus nodded and exited the drawing room, heading for the fireplace. Throwing in a handful of the powder, he called. "Malfoy Manor, private Floo connection…Authorisation : Severus Snape!" He stepped into the flames and was whisked off in a burst of green flames.

The trio followed, watching Snape disappear in the flames. They exchanged a glance and shrugged, before Floo-ing off to Malfoy Manor themselves.

Remus watched them leave with a sigh. He had agreed to stay at Grimmauld until they got back. For a moment, he actually wondered why someone _had_ to watch Pansy. She was kept in a deep, bewitched sleep, thus safe from the influence of the bracelet until they figured out a plan to get it off her. He got up from his seat in one of the armchairs and climbed the stairs.

He entered Pansy's room and took a seat on the chair beside her bed. She looked peaceful and he would've thought she was completely fine, if it weren't for the sickly, pale colour of her skin. Remus wondered just how much influence the bracelet had had over her. He took a hold of her wrist and turned it over. There it was. The little silver with the bronze eagle. It looked rather innocent, but Remus had long learnt that objects should not judged on appearance. The same thing was also true for people.

He sadly shook his head. This girl was what? Seventeen years old? He couldn't help but think that seventeen was far too young to be sent off to war. But then again, what was a decent age? '_Nobody should be fighting wars at all._' He stood up and left the room again, hoping Harry and his friends would return soon. Also for Remus, this house brought back memories...

* * *

Walking out into the small room designed specifically for private Floo arrivals and departures, Severus looked around with narrowed eyes, his hand clutching his wand tightly. He waited for the others to come through, tapping his foot against the polished wooden floor.

They stepped out of the fireplace, brushing the soot off their robes. Harry rolled his eyes as Snape tapped his foot, but decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Well, come along then." Severus said and walked out of the room. He stalked down the hallway, ignoring both the questioning stares of Potter and his friends and the portraits, which were chattering and asking them questions about their business at the manor. "Malfoy's study will be the best place to begin our search. He keeps a large section of old manuscripts in there."

Harry followed, Hermione and Ron in tow. Hermione couldn't help but be a little disappointed. She would have liked some time to take a look around. This place seemed to be _huge_. Not that she had expected anything else from the Malfoy family, but still...

"A Weasley! A Weasley in our home!" One of the portraits shrieked. "Traitor! A Weasley! Blood traitor! Mudblood-loving traitor!"

Grumbling in annoyance, Severus glared at the offending portrait. "Shut up. If I recall correctly, Lady Malfoy, your youngest son married a Muggleborn." Without waiting for a reply, he continued down the hallway until he reached the study of Lucius Malfoy.

Ron gaped at the portrait. "What did you call me? Traitor, my arse, you stuck up piece of paint!" He shook a fist at the woman in the frame, only to have her sniff at him in disdain.

Hermione sighed and pulled at his arm. "Just ignore her, Ron. It's just a stupid portrait."

Harry ignored the portrait of the Malfoy relative and kept his eyes on Snape's back. Suddenly, he smirked to himself. '_Sodding portrait would fall from its frame if she found out Ron__'__s the only pureblood in this group._'

"Where is Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione frowned.

"She is away for the time being." Severus said as he opened the door to the study. He raised his wand and checked for wards or traps. He knew Malfoy would allow a person to enter without further ado, only to have a trap sprung on them the moment they actually set a foot inside. When he found a couple of wards, which he himself had taught Malfoy in the first place, Severus worked quickly to take them down.

Harry took a look inside the study. It was large. The floor was made out of dark ebony-coloured wood and the wall was lined with bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling. In the middle of it stood a large desk with a chair, the wood in the same colour as the floor. He spotted a few cabinets in the corner. "What's in the cabinets?" He asked.

Severus looked at the cabinets Potter had pointed out. "Documents, I believe. Paperwork he has brought home from the Ministry, if I remember accurately. As well as some books he prefers to keep in here."

Harry was not really interested in the paperwork, but his expression slightly darkened at the mentioning of certain books. '_Maybe something in those cabinets could be useful to our search._' He pondered. "Can you access them?"

"You think the diary could be in there?" Hermione said from behind him.

"Possibly." Harry calmly replied. "But we shall have to wait and see. Anything that could prove to be useful, would be welcome. We can always worry about the diary later."

"Diary?" Severus asked as he strode over to the cabinets and tapped one with the tip of his wand, examining the cabinet doors. "Hmm, it should not prove difficult to open them." He muttered to himself and traced his wand over the wood in search of anything that could make it difficult for him.

"Riddle's diary." Harry came to stand next to him, watching the cabinets. "One of the Horcruxes that has already been destroyed."

Severus arched an eyebrow at Potter, but continued to work with opening the cabinets. '_One less Horcrux to worry about then._' He thought. Finally, after a few minutes of making sure no surprises would jump at them once he opened the cabinets. Severus straightened up and tapped the first cabinet door, muttering a few words. He stepped back to watch it spring open and reveal several leather bound books, they were quite old by the look of their condition.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "Hermione, can you get started on the cabinets? Ron and I will start on the shelves on this side."

Hermione nodded and kneeled down in front of the cabinets, peering inside. She was curious to see what Malfoy would hide in these. She suppressed the urge to rub her hands in glee, before starting to search through them.

Harry watched her for a moment, before turning to Ron. "I'll take the ladder and start on top. You start with the lower ones."

"Right." Ron said and began to search through the books on the lower shelves. He paused occasionally when he saw some of the titles. Having listened to Hermione talk about books for almost seven years, he recognized most of them. And nearly all of them were books Hermione would love to get her hands on as they were one of a kind, rare editions. He picked up one book with the odd name 'Slugs, Newts and Other Kinds of Small Animals You Would Rather Avoid, But Need for Your Potions' and flipped through it. He grimaced at some of the pictures and quickly closed it again, replacing it on the shelf.

Severus looked through the cabinet he had opened first. He calmly pulled out book after book and idly flipped the pages. He committed several of the potions he found in each book to his memory as well as other useful information. Though he would love to walk out of this situation with his arms and pockets full of books, it would not do to take all of them. Severus doubted Narcissa or Draco would take the news that he had looted Lucius' study with kind ears. So he kept putting the books back into their respective places.

Harry stood on the ladder, moving inch by inch as he checked the titles on the spines. Of course, there were a great deal of books about the Dark Arts on the shelves, but when he flipped through it, he could find nothing on Horcruxes. He growled under his breath. A bit further away, he noticed a thick black, leather-bound book. He moved over to it and took it out, not noticing the smaller, foul green book on top of it, until it fell down.

"Ron, watch out!" He called down, grimacing when Ron looked up and the book hit him in the face with a smack.

Ron reared back from the book and he watched as it dropped to the floor. Rubbing his face with the back of his hand, he crouched down to pick it up. "Ugly thing." He muttered, still wincing slightly at the pain in his nose.

Harry put the thick black book back on the shelf, before climbing down. He took the book from Ron and let his eyes scan the title. "The Wickedest of Magical Inventions." He mumbled.

"What?" Hermione tried to get up a little too quickly while pulling her head out of the cabinet, bumping her head against the edge. She rubbed at the painful spot. "It's not our lucky day, it seems, Ron." She grimaced, before finally getting up and hurrying over to Harry to rip the book out of his hands. She quickly flipped through it. "You know, guys..." She slowly said. "Magick Most Evile used 'the wickedest of magical inventions' to define Horcruxes. This _can__'__t_ be a coincidence."

"Is it really...?" Harry asked.

Hermione remained quiet for another moment, thumbing through the pages, nodding. "Yes, it is, Harry." She softly said. "This one deals with the subject of Horcruxes in detail."

"That should be able to provide us with some more information." Harry nodded. "We'll take it with us." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "Any sign of Riddle's diary?"

"No." She pursed her lips, shaking her head. "Unfortunately not."

"We could ask Malfoy? Maybe he knows where his father put it or something?" Ron said as he looked at the thin book in Hermione's hands. This book was going to help them? He knew not to judge a book by it cover, especially since that debacle with the diary several years ago. But this one looked like it didn't contain a lot of information, unless the writing was more than miniscule.

Hermione and Harry jerked their heads up, staring at him for a moment. "Ron, that's a brilliant idea." Harry grinned. "We'll owl him when we get back to Grimmauld Place."

"I will bring him the message, Potter. I might as well seeing as I will see him soon enough." Severus said as he strode over to the trio and held out his hand. "May I see the book, Miss Granger?"

"The diary might have been easy to overlook." Harry coolly replied as Hermione handed the book to Snape, "It looks rather plain and in a bad condition. Besides, the pages inside are empty."

Severus nodded and flipped through the pages of the small book. He stopped more than once when he passed a particularly descriptive passage. There were several fascinating subjects in it beside the detailed description about Horcruxes. He closed the book and handed it back to Granger. "The pages of the diary are empty? So it would absorb any writing." He began to walk out of the study and toward the fireplace they had come through.

"Yeah, that's right." Harry answered as he followed Snape out of the room, beckoning for the others to follow. "Or at least, it used to."

Ron was about to follow Snape and Harry when he noticed that Hermione had opened the book again and was already reading. Sighing, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and gently pulled her along after the others. "Come on, Hermione. You can read the book when we get back to Grimmauld Place."

* * *

Severus stepped out of he fireplace at his mother's house and brushed off the soot clinging to his black robes. He looked around in search of the other occupant of the house, but Draco wasn't in the living room or any of the other rooms downstairs. "Draco?" He called toward the first floor as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up. It might only have been a few hours since he sent the boy here and Draco would probably be rather annoyed that he now had to go back to Grimmauld Place again, but there were questions which needed answers.

At the sound of his name being called, Draco opened the door of his bedroom and popped his head out. "Yeah?" He called back.

"Come down, Draco, if you would." Severus said with a sigh as he tapped his fingers against the stair rail.

"Alright." Draco sighed, closing the bedroom door behind him, before descending the stairs. There was a frown on his face. What did Snape want now? Did he do something wrong? He couldn't imagine what he would have done, but then again, this was Snape... "What is it?" He asked.

Severus turned around and walked into the living room again. "Do you remember your father ever speaking of a leather bound book with blank pages?" He went over to the bookshelves and picked a bottle of scotch, pouring himself half a tumbler. He needed something to burn his throat and clear his mind for a short moment.

Draco looked confused. "No... Why? Should he have? What's the use of a book with nothing in it?"

"While the pages may be blank, the book itself is not." Severus muttered as he took a sip from the small glass. "It contains, just as the bracelet around Miss Parkinson's wrist, a mind of its own."

"A Horcrux?" He meekly asked. "No... Father never spoke of anything like that. I suppose he could have had it lying around the Manor, but I've never come across a book with empty pages in his study."

Severus nodded slowly. "I do not believe he would have left it around for anyone to see. Considering its value, it would not be wise to do so." He emptied his glass and placed it on the table beside his chair. Steepling his fingertips, Severus looked at Draco. "Perhaps he has mentioned it, you have just not connected it with anything you know."

"I don't know, alright?" Draco snapped. "If I say that I can't remember, then I can't." He looked away, running his hand through his hair with a sigh. He really couldn't remember if his father had ever mentioned an object like this.

"Do calm down, Draco." Severus said and let his hands fall to the armrests of the chair. "If you cannot remember, then you cannot remember… for the moment, perhaps. A possible memory might return to you when you least expect it." He reached up with both hands to rub at his temples, feeling a headache approaching.

"If you want me to, I'll Floo to the Manor and look around, or something." He sighed. "Maybe I'll come up with it anyway. Who knows, right?"

Severus stared at Draco for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No, Draco." He objected. If Draco found out from any of the portraits that Potter, his friends and himself had visited the manor without him, the boy would not be pleased. It wasn't that Severus cared, it would just raise some awkward questions as to why they hadn't brought him. And there was still the threat of Aurors lurking around the manor grounds, waiting to apprehend any suspected Death Eaters. No, Draco should be kept away from Malfoy Manor. "Perhaps you should look through your personal affects first. You never know what you might find."

"All I brought along was my trunk." Draco rolled his eyes. "If someone like that should in it, I would know, don't you think?" He paused, licking his lips. "But fine. I'll look through it anyway." He turned around and started up the stairs again, mumbling something about useless searches.

Severus leaned back against the chair and waited for Draco to come back from the guest room. As he thought about it, it did make sense if Lucius had hidden the book in his son's trunk. The diary would be out of the way should anyone decide to ransack the manor in a less courteous manner than the one Potter and his friends had used. While they had entered the manor without a invitation, they had been polite enough to replace anything they removed from its place. If Draco had the diary and didn't know it, the book would be even safer. "Lucius, you idiot. What have you done with it?" He muttered under his breath.

* * *

Bartholomew Carolus stalked through the entrance hall of Riddle Manor. He had important news to deliver to his Master. Carolus worked at the Ministry of Magic, but had always maintained a low profile, even during the years that You-Know-Who had been active. It was his job to leak information and he was good at it. No one had ever given him a suspicious glance before and he intended to keep it that way.

He pushed the heavy doors open, entering the dim-lit room, before kneeling down. "My Lord." He greeted.

"Carolus. What brings you here?" Voldemort looked down on him with a steely gaze. "I don't recall requesting your presence."

"No, My Lord, but I overheard a conversation between Auror Kingsley and Scrimgeour earlier. I thought you would be interested to hear what they were discussing."

"Don't waste my time, Carolus." Voldemort hissed. "Speak."

"It seems that Kingsley and Mad-Eye Moody made a little trip to Azkaban, My Lord." He sneered. "They were to question Lucius."

"Question Lucius? About what exactly?"

"Details were not given, My Lord, but I thought you wanted to know anyway."

Voldemort remained silent for a few moments, before he spoke again. "Well done, Carolus. You may take your leave."

"Certainly, My Lord." Carolus nodded, before rising and leaving the room again.

Voldemort waited until the wards announced someone passing them on the way out, before calling Fenrir Greyback, Rabastan Lestrange and Severus Snape to him.

Severus hissed as the Dark Mark flared with pain and he clutched the fabric covering the tattoo. Rising from the chair he had been relaxing in, he quickly donned his robes and pocketed the white Death Eater mask. Without further delay, he walked out the front door and down the dark street until he saw his chance to Apparate to Riddle Manor. When he arrived outside the wards placed around the old manor in Little Hangleton, he was met by the sight of two other black clad figures walking toward the building as well. Severus had a suspicion as to who they could be as he found their movements quite familiar.

When one of the figures turned around, Severus' suspicion was confirmed; Rabastan Lestrange. Nodding curtly in greeting, Severus walked past both Death Eaters and noticed that the other man was Greyback. He passed through the wards and entered the manor, Lestrange and Greyback following closely behind him. He arched an eyebrow at them and Lestrange smirked while the werewolf merely grunted.

"So, Severus… Seems you've been called as well." Lestrange said.

Severus rolled his eyes and kept walking down the hallways toward the room where the Dark Lord was waiting for him and apparently the other two as well. "Indeed."

"I wonder what our Lord wants from us." Lestrange said as he tried to make conversation with Severus. His attempts were ignored.

Arriving at their destination, Severus reached out and knocked once before opening the door and entering. He quickly kneeled in front of the Dark Lord, Lestrange and Greyback following suit.

"It has been brought to my attention that our dear _friend_ Lucius has been questioned by Aurors." Voldemort stepped out of the shadows, getting straight to the point. "It is of no importance what he has been questioned about, or what he told them or didn't tell. The consequences will be just the same." He paused, sneering down at the three men kneeled on the floor. "He will not be giving the Aurors much more information. You are to kill him before the night is over."

While Lestrange and Greyback were smirking with the prospect of a bit of _fun_, Severus silently cursed, his face was emotionless and he merely nodded.

"Yes, my Lord." All three men kneeling on the floor chorused and rose as one.

"We'll be happy to do so, my Lord." Lestrange said with a wide grin as he placed his white mask on his face.

Greyback grumbled and did the same. "Finally, some action. I have to admit I was getting bored."

Severus remained silent, refusing to comment on something like this. He would much rather have avoided coming here at all. Perfect, just bloody _perfect_. He was about to head out with two of the most vicious killers in the Dark Lord's ranks to kill one of his oldest acquaintances. Carefully, he cleared his mind of all thoughts concerning his doubts about this. It would not do to have such thoughts should the Dark Lord use Legilimency on him.

"You will not be bored tonight." The Dark Lord coldly replied. "Go!"

Whirling around, the three Death Eaters left the room and manor as they walked down the hallways and out of the front door. When they passed the wards all three men Apparated away to the island of the Azkaban prison. They moved quickly across the rocky and uneven ground toward the prison itself, their white masks gleaming in the moonlight. Severus looked up at the tall building with apprehension of the task ahead of them.

He watched as Lestrange grinned maniacally and he wondered if the man had somehow developed the same insanity his sister-in-law was displaying at every available opportunity. It wouldn't surprise him. Greyback stayed behind them, an almost permanent scowl on his face.

"Are we going to kill him any time soon or are we just going to stand here and enjoy the scenery?" Greyback asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Shut up, Fenrir." Lestrange snapped as he sneaked along the wall toward the entrance of the prison. "We don't want to be discovered."

"If we are discovered, I'll just kill them." Greyback groused and followed the younger Death Eater.

Severus sneered and walked past them with a quicker pace, having cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself just moments before. If Lestrange and Greyback wanted to waste time by sneaking around like a couple of fools, they could, but he had other things to worry about. Severus stopped a few feet from the entrance and watched for any signs of guards or Aurors. He pursed his lips in surprise when he walked closer and found the entrance and the ensuing corridor empty.

He waited for the other two members of his group to join him with a scowl on his face. It was much too quiet. A few moments after Lestrange and Greyback finally arrived and with Severus rolling his eyes, they entered the prison. They walked down the corridor toward the lower levels of the building where the most dangerous prisoners were kept. Surely they would find Lucius Malfoy down there.

Suddenly, an Azkaban guard came out from one of the smaller corridors and he yelped as he bumped into the large body of Greyback. Falling to the floor, the guard looked up at Lestrange and Greyback. Severus had yet to shed the Disillusionment Charm and so the guard did not pay him any attention.

The guard quickly scrambled to his feet, pointing his wand at the two Death Eaters with a trembling hand. He began to mutter a spell, only to have Greyback pick him up by his throat. The werewolf smirked and slowly squeezed, cutting off the guard's air supply until the life was slowly drained from him and he hung limply from Greyback's massive hand. With a snort of disgust, Greyback released his captive and the man dropped to the ground in a heap.

Severus watched silently as Greyback stepped over the dead guard and moved further down the main corridor with a laughing Rabastan Lestrange at his side. Shaking his head, Severus followed them to the lower levels. As they descended the stairs in silence, which had permeated the upper levels, was broken by the keens and cries of prisoners, who had probably been there since before the Dementors had left Azkaban.

Lestrange scoffed, muttering about 'crazed maniacs'. He started to look in through the small shutters at the top of each cell door they passed. Suddenly, he stopped and waved Greyback and Severus over to him.

"This is the one." Lestrange snickered and he raised his wand, casting the spell to open the door for them. He stepped inside and spoke in a sing-song voice. "Hello, Lucius. Missed me?"

Severus finally let the Disillusionment Charm fall and was about to enter the cell when Greyback pushed him aside. The werewolf sneered at him and walked into the small cell, leaving Severus to follow after him as the last of their group.

Lucius Malfoy was sitting on the small cot at the other end of the room, legs stretched out with one crossed over the other. He was lounging on the tiny space as if he actually was comfortable on the ratty piece of furniture. His arms were placed behind his head and he was watching them with an arched eyebrow. Slowly, he turned around and placed his feet on the floor. "Rabastan." Malfoy said greeted, only nodding at Greyback with a small smirk on his lips and then he looked at Severus. "Fancy meeting you here, Severus. This is most unexpected."

"Malfoy." Greyback grumbled and walked closer to the man still sitting on the cot.

"Gentlemen, what do I owe the honour of your presence? I have hardly had the chance to tidy up the place." Malfoy inquired and waved his hand around at the dismal state of the dank and dark cell. "Come to break me out, perhaps? I must admit I could use a change of scenery, it is quite dreary in here."

"Don't worry, _old friend_." Greyback said with a low growl. "You will get your change of scenery." He raised his hand and struck out at Malfoy, hitting the other man on the side of his head. Malfoy tumbled to the floor by the force of the blow. Disorientated, the blond man slowly got to his feet, shaking his head.

"What was that for, Fenrir?" Malfoy snarled as he cradled the injured side of his head with one hand.

"Simply the beginning." The werewolf grinned and lashed out again. "I love this part."

This time Malfoy jumped out of the way, backing up against the wall. His eyes were narrowed and he stared at Greyback. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded.

"We're simply following orders, Lucius." Lestrange supplied as he raised his wand. "Step back, Fenrir. I want my turn." Without waiting for Greyback to comply, Lestrange pointed his wand at Malfoy. "Crucio!" He hissed and watched with glee as the other man fell to floor once more, writhing and screaming in pain. When he lifted the curse from the thrashing body, Malfoy was panting and breathing harshly.

"Why?" The blond man wheezed from his position on the floor.

"You were talking too much. Our Lord was informed of your little tea party with the Aurors." Lestrange explained and cast the curse on Malfoy again, his eyes lighting up with amusement as blood began to

trickle from his victim's nose. Removing the Unforgivable from Malfoy, Lestrange walked closer and crouched down beside him.

"B-but… I didn't talk!" Malfoy rasped desperately as he tried to get up.

"It doesn't matter, Lucius. Our Lord wants you out of the way, set it as an example to others who might think of betraying him. Betray the Dark Lord and you die." Lestrange shrugged and plucked a piece of sweat drenched hair from Malfoy's face.  
Suddenly, Greyback pushed Lestrange out of the way and picked the flailing man up by his shoulders. "It's time to die, Lucius." He breathed into the other man's face.

Malfoy whimpered in pain, his eyes darting around the room for anything which could help him out of the situation. Severus found himself staring into the grey eyes of one of his oldest acquaintances.

"Severus… my friend?" Malfoy was looking at him with wide eyes as if he had only just understood that this was the end for him.

"I'm sorry, Lucius." Severus whispered barely audible, but he knew Malfoy could see his lips move. The blond man slowly nodded, dejected.

"Ahh, Severus. You've been so quiet, I nearly forgot you were here." Lestrange exclaimed in mock surprise. "Would you like your turn before Fenrir finishes the assignment?"

Severus shook his head. "No, thank you. I prefer not to dirty my hands with blood any more than necessary."

"Suit yourself. Go ahead, Fenrir." The youngest Lestrange brother patted Greyback's shoulder and stepped back to observe the werewolf and Malfoy.

"Well, then… Looks like it's just to two of us, Lucius." Greyback cackled and scraped two of his claws across Malfoy's cheek, watching the small trickle of blood run down the pale skin and drip onto the tatty clothes. Bringing him closer, Greyback licked the blood away from his captive's skin. He proceeded to rip his claws into Malfoy's chest, cutting the flesh with gusto and grinning as Malfoy cried out in pain. Then with one blood drenched hand he took a hold of the blond's head and with a quick jerk he snapped Malfoy's neck.

Letting the body drop to ground, Fenrir Greyback turned around and walked out of the cell. "That was fun." He snickered as he went past Severus, who was looking at the scene with distaste. "Too crass for your sensitive tastes, Snape?"

"Hn." Severus commented and with a final look at the body of Lucius Malfoy he left the cell, Lestrange following shortly after. They wandered casually up the stairs and down the main corridor, where Greyback managed to find another guard. After snapping the man's neck, much like he had done to Malfoy, Greyback exited the prison gates and Apparated away. Lestrange cast a quick grin in Severus' direction and they both Apparated to Riddle Manor to hand over their report of success to the Dark Lord.


	14. 14 De Legione Mentis et Eiectu

Title : Ars Virgarum - _De Legione Mentis et Eiectu_  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-14-78120767

* * *

_14 - De Legione Mentis et Eiectu_

Draco had been going through his trunk for hours now. He had taken everything out, but hadn't found anything that resembled the mentioned book with the blank pages. He had been looking through his belongings, smiling sadly as he found a few notes that he and Pansy had written back and forth in classes. He heaved a sigh. Sometimes, he wished he could turn back time. But unfortunately, he couldn't.

He picked up his Transfiguration book and threw it back into his trunk, ready to put everything back into its place. It landed on the bottom with a hollow thud and Draco frowned. He looked inside and picked the book back up. It wasn't supposed to sound like that. He knocked the bottom with his knuckles and there it was again, that hollow sound. Discarding the book onto the floor, he started to feel around the bottom of his trunk. It seemed to be loose... He managed to lift it out, frowning at it, before looking back inside.

"A false bottom..." He mumbled to himself, putting the wood aside.

There was a small, dirty, leather-bound book on the real bottom of the trunk. He took it out and flipped through it. The pages were coloured on the corners and it looked like it had been wet at some point, but they were blank. This _had_ to be the book Snape had been talking about. '_This crappy old thing is a Horcrux?_' He frowned to himself, then remembered what a Horcrux was again, before dropping it on the floor and pushing it several feet away from him. He quickly stuffed the other items back into his trunk, before getting up and leaving his room in a hurry.

"Snape?" He quickly descended the stairs, calling out the man's name. "I found the book! I..." He came to a halt in the empty living room, looking around, before scratching the back of his head. "Now where did he go?"

Severus slammed the front door shut behind him as he entered his mother's house. He had just returned from reporting to the Dark Lord about the assignment he had given Fenrir Greyback, Rabastan Lestrange and himself earlier that evening. He didn't bother with taking off his robes, but instead looked around for Draco. He found him standing in the living room with a confused look on his face. He cleared his throat to get the boy's attention.

"Draco." He said tonelessly.

Draco whirled around at the sound of Snape's voice. He broke out in a grin. "I found the book! The one with the blank pages. It was under a false bottom in my trunk." He exclaimed, excited. But his excitement died quickly at the sight of Snape's concerned expression. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

Severus arched an eyebrow at the mention of the diary, but otherwise he kept his face impassive. "Draco, go upstairs and pack your things." He said quietly, looking Draco directly into his eyes to make sure the boy understood that he was serious.

Draco blinked. "W-what? But why...?" But when the black gaze met his, he merely nodded, then turned around and left the room.

While Draco went upstairs Severus sat down in one of the chairs, leaning heavily against one of the armrests. Seeing Draco had brought the image of Lucius Malfoy's vacant eyes back in his mind. He sighed and ran a hand through his lank hair. Upstairs, Draco put all of his belongings in his trunk, looking around the bedroom to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He placed the Horcrux book on top, before closing the lid and shrinking the trunk so it would fit into his pocket. As he left the room, he closed the door behind him and went back down the stairs to the living room.

When he heard the boy coming down the stairs again, he got up and walked over to the fireplace. He muttered a couple of words under his breath and a fire flared up. "I'm bringing you to Grimmauld Place, Draco. You will be staying there from now on." He looked over his shoulder at Draco. Severus only hoped that the Potter brat wouldn't make too much fuss about this. It would be safer for Draco and Potter and his friends would protect him, no matter how much they might loathe to do so.

"But I don't want to stay there!" Draco protested. "I don't understand... Why can't I just stay here?"

"Because I'm telling you to stay there!" Severus snapped and crossed his arms, tension filling his entire body and the air around them.

"You can't just order me around and tell me what to do!" Draco yelled, his face scrunching up in anger. "You're not my father!"

The little colour that was left in Severus' face was drained at those words. Clenching his jaw, Severus grabbed Draco by the scruff of his neck and shoved him into the fireplace. The flames flared green as the boy was whisked off to Grimmauld Place. Then he stepped into the still green flames and Floo-ed off, following Draco.

Draco tumbled out of the fireplace at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, whirling around to wait for Snape to come through himself. He wasn't nearly done yet...

Severus stepped calmly out of the fireplace and found Draco standing right in front of him. He braced himself for what he assumed would be a long tirade of words from Draco's mouth.

"What was that for?!" Draco screamed at him, eyes narrowing. "You come home and tell me I'm to stay with Potter and his bloody friends just like that! You don't even tell me what's going on! You sent me back to the house earlier without a decent reason, too! What the bloody hell is up with that?! I am not stupid! I demand to know what the hell is going on!"

Harry had been quietly sipping his tea in the kitchen with Ron, while Hermione had been going through the book they had found at Malfoy Manor, when suddenly the fireplace announced someone's arrival. Only seconds after, he recognised the voice of Malfoy shouting at someone. '_Probably Snape._' He thought, but frowned anyway. Why would Malfoy be shouting at Snape like _that_? He got up, forgetting about his tea, and walked into the hallway, poking his head into the room they had Floo-ed into.

Ron was out of his chair in a shot, following Harry toward the raised voice of one Draco Malfoy. Why did the ferret have to come at this moment and ruin the mood? They had been having a good time, relaxing with a cup of tea. He grumbled at the prospect of once again being in the same room as Malfoy.

Severus looked steely at Draco. "You want to know what is going on? Do you even think you can handle it?" He sneered, leaning closer to Draco. Then he suddenly blinked and moved away from the boy, shaking his head sadly. "I doubt you can."

"Well, I, for one, like to know what's going on." Harry interrupted, standing in the doorframe with a rather confused expression on his face. "I didn't expect anymore company tonight."

Hermione joined him with a frown, the book still in her hand, her finger marking the page where she had stopped reading. "What's going on?" She looked at Harry.

Ron glared at Malfoy and Snape. "Something I'd like to know too. You two just keep barging in here like you own the place. So tell us."

Severus looked at the teenagers and with a grumbling sigh he nodded. He was about to open his mouth to tell them, when the fire flared green again and McGonagall walked out, a concerned and hurried look on her face. She stopped mid-step and stared at them all. "I didn't expect a welcoming committee. But it does make this easier…"

Harry looked from McGonagall to Snape and then to Malfoy. He wondered what was going on. Hermione's brow furrowed with worry. "What's going on, Professor?" She looked at McGonagall.

McGonagall ignored the question directed at her by Hermione and smiled sadly at Draco instead. "It is rather fortunate that you are already here. Mr. Malfoy, if you please, I would like for you to accompany me. It is important."

She placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. Then she looked at the others in the room. "Ron, Hermione, you two may come as well. Some company would be nice. Go fetch your robes, please." She sighed and watched the two disappear down the hallway. Looking at Severus, she walked closer to him and whispered into his ear. "Something has happened, Severus. Lucius -"

Severus held up a hand to stop her from saying anything further. "I already know, Minerva."

"You do?" She asked, a small frown marring her face. "You were there, weren't you?" She sighed and shook her head. "You never can stay out of trouble… but will you inform Mr. Potter while I take the others for a little trip?"

Severus nodded and stepped away from her. "It was my intention to do so before you arrived. I might as well continue."

McGonagall smiled gratefully and turned back to Draco. Shortly after, Ron and Hermione returned with their robes, shooting questioning glances at her. "Ready to leave, children?"

"Where are we going?" Ron asked, tilting his head to one side in confusion.

"Just follow me." McGonagall said and entered the fireplace where she was sent off in a burst of green flames. Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, before going in after her, trusting the Headmistress to have a good reason for doing this.

Harry watched them leave while he scratched the back of his head. He glanced at Snape, before turning around and heading for the drawing room. Severus watched the flames return to their normal colour of a bright orange-red for a few moments before he left the room, following Potter into the drawing room.

* * *

Entering the room, Severus stopped by his usual place at the door and looked around. Finally, he stared directly at the Potter boy.

Harry accio-ed the tea tray from the kitchen and poured himself a new cup as he sat himself down. The prickling at the back of his neck told him that Snape was watching him. He ignored it for a moment, stirring some sugar into his cup before looking up at him. He quirked an eyebrow in question.

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Severus cocked an eyebrow in return. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Talk." Harry coldly said. "Why did you bring Malfoy here? What the bloody hell is going on?"

Severus nodded slowly. "If I must. Earlier this evening I was summoned by the Dark Lord." He stared directly into the boy's eyes to relay the seriousness of what he was about to tell him. "I, along with Fenrir Greyback and Rabastan Lestrange, was given a specific assignment. The result of that particular assignment is the reason the Headmistress came here tonight in search of Draco Malfoy. Lucius Malfoy is dead."

Harry frowned. "You killed him? Why? I mean... Why would Voldemort have him killed?" He sipped his tea, pondering.

"I did not kill him, Mr. Potter." Severus snapped, then sighed. "Though I did nothing to stop this from happening either." He frowned when he thought of something. "I suspect that one of the Dark Lord's spies within the Ministry told him about Malfoy's interrogation. The Dark Lord was rather insistent about Malfoy's imminent death, whether or not he had said anything to the Aurors."

Harry remained silent for a few minutes, nodding. He tried to comprehend why Voldemort would have Lucius get killed if Lucius apparently wasn't a threat to him. He wrapped both of his hands around his cup of tea. "Where has McGonagall taken them?"

"I believe she has taken them to St. Mungo's. The… body must have been found and brought the morgue." Severus answered. He wondered if the children or McGonagall would, by chance, see the two guards in the morgue as well.

"So now what?" Harry asked. "Lucius is dead. I can't say that I'll mourn for him." He let out a snort and shook his head, before sipping his drink. "But what's going to happen to Malfoy now?"

"I would like for him to stay here, Mr. Potter. It is safer than to stay with me." Severus said and stared at Potter gravely. "I fear that the Dark Lord is beginning to suspect me of not being as loyal as he would like. In the past, he has rarely given me any assignments involving the direct murder of another, preferring my usefulness as a Potions Master and _spy_ instead."

Harry scowled. "I would like for him to drop dead." He snapped. "But you won't leave me with much of a choice, will you? My house is not a hotel."

Severus rolled his eyes and snorted. "Yes, I am so sorry that your vast living space is compromised by an unconscious girl and a boy who has just lost his father. Mr. Potter, put aside your ire toward Mr. Malfoy for the time being." Uncrossing his arms, he leaned against the wall behind him. "We rarely get choices we are fond of in situations such as these, Mr. Potter. We simply have to make the best of it."

"That _boy_ who just lost his father has done nothing but get me in trouble, humiliate me and pick fights with me for the last six years." Harry coldly said. "You cannot expect me to show compassion towards him. I'll let him stay, but if he as much as squeaks, he'll be getting reacquainted with an old _friend_." Harry inwardly smirked at the thought of sticking Malfoy in the same attic as Witherwings. He knew he couldn't, of course. Killing Draco Malfoy would not make a good impression with both McGonagall and Snape.

Severus stared at Potter with a blank expression on his face, resisting the urge to yet again roll his eyes. "As long as he is not struck dead by some unfortunate event. Though I doubt he will cause you much trouble, as he will probably prefer to stay away from you and your friends as much as possible."

"Sounds just great." Harry sneered. He finished his tea and put the cup back on the tray, before running a hand through his hair. He heaved a sigh. "In the meanwhile, what are we to do with Parkinson? I cannot imagine going that long without food or water is healthy..."

Arching an eyebrow significantly at the brat, Severus hid the smirk which had threatened spread across his lips. Yes, Potter was indeed uncaring of his guest's wellbeing. "There is no need to worry about Miss Parkinson's health, Mr. Potter. The bewitched sleep I have placed her in will keep her body stable and healthy until a way is found to remove the Horcrux from her wrist."

"So how do we remove it? Since we're not allowed to just take it off..." Harry frowned.

Severus narrowed his eyes in thought. "I believe we must sever the connection between Miss Parkinson and the Horcrux first, then we might be able to remove the bracelet."

Harry fisted a hand in his hair, thinking. He had seen this before with Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets, but it was not exactly the same. Voldemort's soul had used Ginny to strengthen itself, draining the girl in the process. If Malfoy was saying was true, then _this_ soul part would only be controlling Pansy, not feeding off her. '_But that might be because Voldemort has been resurrected, so he doesn__'__t need his Horcrux to drain a person for strength._'

Seeing at the boy grip his head with a distressed expression on his face, Severus frowned. What was the brat thinking about this time? "Mr. Potter?" He inquired.

Harry looked up and blinked. "Yeah...?"

"Speak your thoughts, boy. Perhaps they might actually be of some help." Severus said.

"I was just thinking about when Riddle possessed Ginny." He scowled. "I'm trying to remember how we broke the connection then, but it all went so fast..."

"Riddle possessed Miss Weasley?" Severus pushed himself away from the wall and stepped closer to Potter. "Tell me what happened with as many details you can muster."

"Second year at Hogwarts." Harry began. "The year Ron and I arrived at school in the flying Ford Anglia. Several students being Petrified." He paused. "Lucius slipped Riddle's diary into Ginny's cauldron at Diagon Alley. She wrote in it and that's how Riddle gained control over her. She was only eleven..." He picked at the sleeve of his robe, frowning. "The writing in blood on the wall was Ginny's work, because Riddle had made her do it. He fed off her, consumed her energy so he grew stronger and she became weaker. She almost died down there, in the Chamber of Secrets..."

"However, this time it is different." Severus nodded in contemplation. "The Horcrux is not draining her life force as the diary did to Miss Weasley… What happened next? How did you bring her back from the brink of death?"

"I pierced the diary with the one of the basilisk's fangs." Harry frowned. "However, I have the feeling this is not going to work this time..."

"No, I don't believe it will. Considering you have no basilisk fang to assist you." He snorted, the began to list the information he had so far. "This is a completely different situation. This Horcrux is in control of her mind. It has formed a connection to her, but is not draining her life force. If we should try to pull it by force it would certainly damage her…"

"Well, there _has_ to be some way to push him out of her mind." Harry sighed.

"Indeed." Severus agreed and suddenly a plan began to form in his mind. "Mr. Potter, I do believe we simply have to persuade the bracelet to set her free. Be it forcefully, if necessary."

Harry blinked, a confused look on his face. Once Snape began to explain the plan, Harry nodded, starting to see where this would be leading to.

* * *

In the mean while, McGonagall stepped out of one of the many fireplaces at St. Mungo's. This one was placed in the lower levels of the hospital and closer to the morgue than the fireplace visitors would usually use to get in. She moved a bit further back, waiting for the children to come through. Sighing, she wondered how she was going to break the news to Draco that his father had been killed by Death Eaters, the very people his father had worked with for years.

McGonagall herself was still a bit stunned to have learned that Severus had been a part of the group which had killed Lucius Malfoy. The Potions Master had always despised bloodying his hands by killing, which was why Albus' death and the fact that Severus had caused it had bewildered her. When she finally understood why Severus had done it, she had wanted to slap both him and Albus for not confiding in her, even if she had to find a way to strike a portrait's cheek.

Still watching the fireplace for any sign of the three teenagers, McGonagall tapped her foot slightly against the floor. Ronald was the first to stumble out of the fireplace, a disorientated expression on his face as he rubbed lightly at his head.

"Gnn, must have hit something on the way." He grimaced as he gingerly touched the bump forming on his forehead.

McGonagall rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly at Ron. "Watching your step in the Floo-system would help to stop something like that from happening."

Draco came through next, bumping into Ron. He grunted and rubbed his nose. "Do you _have_ to block the entire path, Weasley?" He grumbled.

Hermione soon followed, coming to a halt in time to prevent herself from walking into Malfoy's back. She peered over his shoulder with a frown. "Ronald!" She sighed. "Give us some room, will you?"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Ron grumbled, but moved out of the way when Hermione asked him to, muttering a quick apology to her and ignoring Malfoy completely.

Hermione came to stand beside Ron and she involuntarily shivered. "It's cold here." She frowned. "Where are we exactly, Professor?"

Draco looked around the bare hallway. He had to admit Granger was right. It was rather cold in here. He glanced at McGonagall, waiting for her to answer Granger's question.

"St. Mungo's. We're in the lower levels of the hospital, below ground level to be precise." McGonagall answered and began to walk out of the room they had Floo-ed into. "Follow me, children."

Ron stared at McGonagall, blinking rapidly. "The lower levels? But the only thing in the lower levels of St. Mungo's is the morgue and potion's laboratory." He remembered his mother telling him about it when he was younger and his grandfather had just died. Back then, he hadn't understood why the place his grandfather had been kept was so cold. But his mother had been patient, if a bit evasive, with her answers.

Draco frowned. What were they doing here? But he simply shrugged and followed. Hermione shot a few glances at Malfoy from time to time. She didn't feel very comfortable. Like Ron said, the only things down here were the morgue and the potion's laboratory. If McGonagall had come to collect Draco, then she figured they were not going to make a visit to the potion's laboratory. She gulped.

They walked down the chillingly cool hallway in silence until they reached a large door with a plaque labelling the room behind the door as the 'St. Mungo's Morgue'. McGonagall stopped abruptly and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Before we enter, I would like to speak with you." She said quietly.

Draco looked at her, all colour starting to drain from his face. He didn't like the prospects of this. He couldn't even bring himself to nod. He noticed his own hands had started to tremble slightly.

"Draco." McGonagall sighed, gently squeezing his shoulder to give him comfort and something to focus on. "I am so sorry, dear child…" She paused, not knowing how to continue. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked at the boy with sad eyes. "Draco, you father… was murdered earlier tonight."

Draco roughly pulled away from the hand on his shoulder, taking a few steps back. "No." He spoke through gritted teeth. "No, it's not true. He was in Azkaban. He was safe there. I don't believe you!"

"He was in Azkaban, Draco." McGonagall reached out toward him again, gently replacing her hand on his shoulder. "Death Eaters somehow gained entrance to the prison, killing two guards in the process as well."

Draco was silent for a few minutes, shaking his head and rubbing at his face. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be true. His father was dead? He didn't believe it. He suppressed a sob and looked back up at McGonagall, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. "I want to see him." He said in a croaked voice.

McGonagall nodded silently and with a gentle push on his back she guided him through the door to the morgue. They were greeted by one of the healers working the night shift in the morgue and after exchanging a few words, they were led to a steel table in the back.

"We have just finished with readying him for the funeral." The healer said as he reached out to pull away the white sheet covering the body beneath it.

Draco closed his eyes as the healer pulled the sheet away. He slowly opened them again, coming face to face with the sight of his father on the cold steel table. As he lay there so still and with his eyes closed, he seemed to be asleep, but Draco knew better. He couldn't hold the tears back anymore and he choked on a sob. He noticed the cuts on both his face and chest, recognizing them as werewolf injuries. There was only one known werewolf in Voldemort's ranks and that was Fenrir Greyback.

Greyback had been a _friend_ of the family and that fact struck Draco twice as hard. He started to back away, hitting the wall. He managed to tear his eyes away from his father's body and fled into the hallway, pushing Hermione and Ron, who had been standing near the door, out of the way.

Ron blinked in surprise when Malfoy ran into them and then he stared at his retreating back as the other teen ran down the corridor. "Malfoy, wait!" He called out, trying to get the blond to stop. It would not be a good thing if Malfoy was discovered by any Auror that might be at the hospital.

"Stay here." Hermione sighed, before running after Malfoy.

Draco stopped at the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall before sliding down. He buried his face in his hands. This just couldn't be true... His father was gone and he could barely believe it. Hermione caught up with him and kneeled down beside him.

"Malfoy?" She softly asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Do I _look_ like I'm alright?" Draco jerked his head up and snapped. His cheeks were tear-streaked and his eyes were all red and puffy from crying. He pulled his shoulder away from her touch. "Don't touch me, Granger. I'm not a kid." He furiously wiped at his face, willing the tears to stop falling.

"You just lost your father. It's alright to cry..."

"No, it's not." Draco sniffed. "Malfoys don't show emotions."

"Nobody will give you strange looks when you're crying over losing a parent." Hermione quietly said.

"You know _nothing_ about my life, Granger, so stop pretending you know me, or my family." Draco snarled.

Hermione's expression hardened. "I might not know about how you were brought up, Malfoy, but does that still matter? We are all on the same side here. So sorry if I was trying to help you." She got up again and started to walk towards Ron and McGonagall who were coming in their direction.

McGonagall stalked down the hallway toward Hermione, a concerned expression on her face. "Miss Granger?" Then she noticed Draco sitting against the wall a little further down in the corridor. "Mr. Malfoy?" She asked. When he didn't answer, McGonagall walked closer to him and crouched down in front of him. "Draco?"

Ron reached Hermione's side within seconds and looked at her, placing at hand by her elbow and nudging her gently. "Hermione? Are you alright?"

Draco refused to look up, so he stared at his knees instead. "What?" He bit out.

Hermione gave Ron a small smile. "Yes, don't worry. I'm fine. I've dealt with worse things."

Ron nodded and gave her a smile of his own. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Malfoy who was still sitting on the floor and McGonagall who was trying to get the boy to stand up. Malfoy was persistently refusing to comply and simply remained on the cold floor. McGonagall was talking in low tones to the other teen, trying to coax him to do as he was told. Grumbling, Ron couldn't believe he was going to do this for Malfoy of all people.

He stepped closer to Malfoy and, crossing his arms, he looked down at the blond crouched on the floor. "Malfoy, come on. Get up. Sitting there won't do anyone any good." Then he reached out with one arm and took a hold Malfoy's arm, pulling at him slightly. He actually felt sorry for the git. "Come on, we'll go back to Grimmauld Place, warm up with a cup of tea."

Draco jerked his arm away. "Leave me alone, Weasley." He grumbled.

That was it. Hermione had had enough. She pushed Ron aside and sharply backhanded Malfoy across the face. Malfoy looked up at her with a shocked look in his eyes. Hermione put her hands on her hips, pursing her lips.

"Are you going to sit here all night, Malfoy?" She bit out. "What good will that do? Are you going to sulk and cry like a five-year-old? I thought I knew you better than that, Malfoy. Where's the bloody git that's been nagging me about my blood status for six years? Don't you have _any_ balls?"

"Hermione..." Ron quietly said. "His dad..."

"Well, I don't give a bloody shite, Ronald." She snarled. "Harry never knew his parents because that maniac murdered them." She turned back to Malfoy. "What is it with you, Malfoy? Life isn't fair. Big deal. Are you going to sulk every time something doesn't go the way you planned it?" She paused. "Listen carefully, Malfoy, if you even think that you will survive with this attitude, then you're clearly mistaken. Nobody will spare you because you lost your father. It comes all down to you now. Wake up and decide for yourself for once. You can either sit here and keep feeling sorry for yourself, or you can get your stupid arse off that floor and go with us. Your pick." She grabbed Ron's sleeve and started pulling him into the direction of the fireplace. "Come on, Ronald. This git isn't worth wasting time on."

Ron let himself be dragged away by Hermione, feeling a sense of pride at how she handled Malfoy. He grinned at her. "You're bloody brilliant, Hermione." Then with a sudden courage he took a hold of her hand and laced their fingers together, smiling softly at her. "Come on, let's go home. Hopefully, Harry and Snape haven't destroyed the house yet."

"Annoying twit." Hermione muttered, give Malfoy once last glance over her shoulder, before smiling back at Ron. "Thanks."

Draco watched them. He was still suffering from a small aftershock from Granger's words. Still rubbing at his cheek, he started to get up, trailing behind them on the way to the room they had Floo-ed into.

* * *

Caitlynn O'Hare stalked through the dungeons with a frown on her face. She hadn't seen Pansy in any of her classes lately, and after asking around, it seemed that she hadn't been in any of her others either. Touching the bare wall, she spoke the password and entered the Slytherin common room. Several heads turned to look at her, but she didn't recognise Pansy among any of them.

In one of the corners, the seventh years were chatting amonst each other and she walked over to them.

"Mr. Zabini, have you seen Miss Parkinson as of late?" She coolly asked as she looked down on the dark youth seated on the sofa.

"No, Professor." Blaise shook his head. "We haven't seen her in a while."

"It isn't like she hangs out with us." Millicent added with a snort. "She seems to be daydreaming a lot, talking to someone who isn't there."

'_If her housemates figured out that much..._' O'Hare cursed inwardly. This could be dangerous. She grunted and nodded. "Right." She lightly replied. "I'll go check with the other teachers then. If she decides to show herself again, then you know where to find me."

After that, she turned around and left the common room, heading for the Hospital Wing. That was the only place she hadn't been to yet. Striding through the door, she noticed the nurse arranging some replies on the shelves.

"Poppy." She nodded in greeting.

"Caitlynn." The nurse glanced over her shoulder. "What can I help you with? Did the first years muck up your classroom again?"

"No, actually..." O'Hare gave a small smile. "I was wondering if you had seen Pansy Parkinson. She hasn't been in any of her classes."

Poppy nodded and suddenly remembered what Tonks had told her. "She came in some time last week." She gave a sad smile. "Apparently, she caught some contagious illness I'm not very familiar with. She will not be returning to classes any time soon, I'm afraid. She's not allowed to have visitors either. I don't want any more students to contract it."

"Oh." O'Hare frowned. '_Now that__'__s bad luck._' "Poppy, would you be so kind to keep me informed on her progress?"

"I will, Caitlynn." The nurse nodded. "The minute she turns out to be alright, she may return to her classes."

"Thank you, Poppy." She nodded, before turning around with a grumble. She had to inform her Master about this unfortunate incident. He would not be pleased. With a sigh, she headed for the owlery.

* * *

"_My Lord,_

_Something has come up. It seems that the Parkinson girl has contracted a contagious illness and is not allowed to leave the Hospital Wing anytime soon. She is not allowed to have any visitors either. What should I do?_

_~C.C."_

* * *

"_That is most unfortunate, indeed. Do nothing until further notice. Leave her to recover. For all we know, she could heal in a week. I repeat, do nothing until further notice."_

* * *

Hermione, Ron and Draco Floo-ed back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. While Ron took Draco to the kitchen to make some tea, Hermione went to the drawing room to look for Harry and Snape. When she didn't find them there, she called out Harry's name. She received no answer and climbed the stairs with a frown. Suddenly, Harry's head popped out of Pansy's room.

"Hermione?" He frowned. "You yelled?"

"Yes. We just got back from St. Mungo's."

"Where's McGonagall?" He asked.

"She went back to Hogwarts. She didn't find it necessary to make a detour." She looked past him. "What are you two doing with Pansy?"

"We're going to try and get that bracelet off her. It might take a while, but we'll be down afterwards."

Hermione nodded. "Sounds good. We'll be in the drawing room."

"Alright." Harry closed the door again, while he heard Hermione's footsteps descending the staircase again. "They're back."

Severus merely nodded and looked back to the sleeping figure on the bed, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Pansy's temple. "Then let us commence. Keep an eye on her… You might have to physically restrain her at some point if it proves necessary." He picked up the wrist with the bracelet and studied it for a moment. "Beautiful work." He muttered, then let the hand drop to the mattress again. After looking at Potter for a second, he returned his attention to the unconscious girl. "Legilimens." He whispered and was plunged into darkness.

Harry stood on the other side of the bed and nodded at Snape's words. He kept one hand on Pansy's shoulder. Should she try and start struggling, he could always lean over and press her down with hands.

Floating in the vast darkness around him, Severus twisted around to look for anything substantial to hold onto. However, he couldn't find anything until a sudden bright light flashed past him and blinded him. He clenched his eyes shut to block the light for blinding him any further. When he opened them again he found himself in what looked like the Slytherin common room. The large hearth was lit with a blazing fire, but the room was otherwise empty.

Slowly he walked toward the fireplace, wondering why he was here. Usually, when he entered another person's mind he was shown memories of the other's life. But if this was the case, then where was Pansy Parkinson? If this was a memory, then were there no people around to re-enact whichever event that had taken place here?

"Who are you?" A cold voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Severus whirled his head around, his wand poised to strike if it was necessary.

"Who are you?" The voice spoke again, this time it was laced with impatience and annoyance. "How did you get here?

This was strange, Severus thought as he looked at the young man standing opposite him and watching him with narrowed eyes. How could this boy see him? Interact with him? Severus was only supposed to be a bystander in Pansy's memories until he found the link between her and the bracelet.

"Are you deaf? I asked why you are here." The young man stepped closer to him, his face twisted in an ugly grimace filled with anger.

"How can you see me?" Severus asked, slightly perplexed.

The other man snorted and glared at Severus. "I can see you because you're standing right in front of me… What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here."

"I am searching for something, Mr…?" Severus answered curtly and waited for the young man to give him his name, even if he did have a nagging suspicion

"If you want my name, I want yours first." He huffed and crossed his arms, staring distrustfully at Severus.

"Severus Snape."

"You may call me Riddle." Green eyes with a reddish tinge looked at him haughtily and even though the other man was shorter than him, Severus found himself gazing upward at Riddle. Suddenly, the other man smiled charmingly at Severus. "Now what are you searching for, perhaps I can be of service?"

Severus took a step forward, watching Riddle with an arched eyebrow. The young man was rather helpful all of the sudden. It was unnerving to see those reddish green eyes staring at you and Severus grimaced as he came closer to the younger incarnation of the Dark Lord. Something glinted on Riddle's right wrist and he found his eyes drawn to the piece of jewellery the other man had done nothing to hide. His eye twitched slightly. That was it, the connection between Riddle, Pansy and the Horcrux.

He was looking at the exact replica of the bronze and silver bracelet on Pansy's wrist. And it was on Riddle's own arm.

"Like something you see?" Riddle asked him as he followed Severus' gaze. "I take it this is what you came for. Sadly, it won't work. I'm not giving her back." He snarled.

In her spell induced sleep Pansy trembled violently, whimpering slightly as her body nearly jerked up and off the bed, but was restricted by Harry's arm on her shoulder. She fell down again, her limbs twitching slightly.

Severus stared as the green irises were filled out completely by crimson. "I will not let her go, she's mine!" Riddle sneered and lashed out at Severus with his wand, flinging a hex at the Potions Master.

Severus jumped out of the way and focused all of his strength and power on caging Tom Riddle in. A silver cage appeared around the young man, but Riddle simply smirked.

"You think this can hold me?" He stepped closer to the bars and reached out to touch them, only to be flung back as a wave of electricity was sent through his body. Riddle fell the ground, panting heavily. His eyes had narrowed into slits and he glared balefully at Severus.

Wearing a smirk of his own, Severus moved toward the cage. "Perhaps not the cage by itself. But this should do it. Hand over the bracelet, please."

"Not bloody likely." Riddle hissed.

"Give me the bracelet, Riddle." Severus demanded and glared at the young man behind the bars.

"Forget it." He sneered and jumped up to pace in front of the silver bars.

Pansy gasped and her eyes were wide open, but unseeing. She began to claw at her wrist, trying to get the bracelet off and fighting against Harry's hold on her.

"Very well." Severus said calmly. In flash, he had reached out and grabbed Riddle's wrist, holding onto it with a tight grip through the bars. With his other hand he pocketed his wand and then took a firm hold of the bracelet and ripped it off Riddle's wrist. Quickly, he let go of the other man and stepped back, watching as Riddle paced and swore. The young man began to throw curse after curse toward him, but they only got as far as the cage bars before they were dissolved.

With Riddle still trapped and helpless inside the cage, Severus focused on the bracelet in his hand. It was a small dainty thing resting in his palm and he found he could simply bend it to his will as he tightened his hand around it, crushing the metal into a fine powder.

Looking one last time at Riddle as the furious man snarled at him, Severus concentrated on leaving Pansy's mind. While the connection had been broken, Riddle was still present inside the girl's head and they would probably have to take the real bracelet off her to make him disappear.

Suddenly, he found himself standing in the room with Potter again, feeling slightly disorientated. But he managed nonetheless to hoarsely snap at Potter. "The bracelet! Take it off her, now!"

Harry blinked and quickly moved to pull the silver bracelet off her wrist. He turned it over in his hands for a few moments, before looking at Snape.

Severus breathed a sigh of relief. Though his body was exhausted from the exertion of using Legilimency and fighting against Tom Riddle with his mind and magic, he refused to let it show in front of Potter. He simply nodded and croaked. "Put it somewhere safe."

Harry nodded. "I will." He left the room, only to enter his own bedroom next door. He put the bracelet in a tin box on his bedside table, before placing some locking charms on it. One could never be too cautious, right? He moved back to Pansy's room, poking his head in. "Are we going to join the others downstairs?"

Taking a moment to compose himself, Severus nodded. "Of course." He walked out of the room, sparing a single look in the still unconscious girl's direction, and descended the stairs with Harry in tow.

When Harry and Snape entered the drawing room, Hermione got up from the sofa, cup of tea still in her hands. "How did it go? Did it work?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. We managed to get it off."

Severus entered the drawing room and went straight to one of the chairs, sitting down without a word to any of the others present. He saw an empty cup on the coffee table beside him and reached for the teapot. He poured himself a cup of tea, then put two spoons full of sugar into it and stirred.

Harry sat himself down next to Hermione, reaching for a cup himself. Draco had been thinking to himself, curled up in an armchair near the fireplace. He had barely noticed Snape and Potter enter the room, but when he looked up, his anger flared up again. He slammed the teacup down on the tray, stood up and stalked over to Snape.

"Why didn't you tell me that my father was dead when you came home?" He snapped, fists clenching by his sides. "You knew when you came home! Why did you leave it to McGonagall?"

Severus slowly took a sip from his cup of steaming hot tea, then looked at Draco with a expressionless face. "I thought it better to let someone who was not involved explain it to you." He said simply and returned to his cup of tea.

"You were involved..." Draco's eyes narrowed. "A reason more to _tell_ me instead of shoving me into the fireplace and sending me here! I had the _right_ to be told at that moment!"

Severus slowly rose from his seat, his eyes locked onto Draco's as he sneered steely. "What would you like to know then, Draco? That I had to stand by and watch as your father was killed by the Dark Lord's pet werewolf without being able to do anything to stop it? That I could not do anything, less I wanted to be branded a traitor by the Dark Lord? That I would have been killed on the spot as well, if I had tried to help Lucius?"

Draco cowered and took a few steps back, whimpering.

He snorted in disgust as the memories of the evening came back to him. "I didn't tell you, because at the moment I had watched one of my oldest acquaintances die right in front of me barely half an hour earlier." He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "Draco, perhaps you should contact your mother."

"I don't want to risk the owl being intercepted." Draco shook his head, sitting back down in the armchair. "I don't want to lose her, too..."

"She will need you, Draco." Severus said and sat back down in his own chair as well. "Your mother is in France at the moment, but she will undoubtedly return to Britain once she hears the news. Would that not place her in danger as well?"

"Yeah..." He softly said. "But what should I say? That she's to remain in France anyway?"

Severus picked up his cup of tea and sipped. "Explain the situation to her. Tell her it is too dangerous for her to return."

Draco nodded and reached for his drink again, curling his fingers against the warm cup, staring into the liquid. Harry, Ron and Hermione had been watching the scene with interest. This entire conversation had showed a different side of both Malfoy and Snape. Harry couldn't help but wonder what else there was to learn.


	15. 15 De Inquisitione et Congressibus Noctu

Title : Ars Virgarum - _De Inquisitione et Congressibus Nocturnis_  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-15-78120985

* * *

_15 - De Inquisitione et Congressibus Nocturnis_

Gasping, Pansy jerked up in the bed and looked around the dark room. She wasn't in her own bed, that much was clear. She was in an unfamiliar room, it wasn't cool like the girls' dormitory in the Slytherin House. Where was she? The last she remembered was… meeting Draco to talk. Then what? By reflex, she touched her right wrist, searching for the bracelet which had been a constant in her life for several months now. When her hand only encountered bare, soft and warm skin and not the cool metal of the bracelet, her eyes widened. Pansy looked down at her wrist in panic. Where was the bracelet? She couldn't have taken it off, she _never_ took it off.

Quickly, she got out of the bed, swaying slightly. Pansy crossed the room to the door with a few minor mishaps as she kept bumping into things on the way. Cursing under her breath, she fumbled with the doorknob in the dark. She carefully opened the door and peeked outside in the hallway. Where was she? None of her surroundings were familiar. Pansy slowly tiptoed out into the corridor and began to sneak along the wall toward what she thought was the stairs. She had nearly reached the top of the staircase when she decided to look over her shoulder, wanting to make sure no one was sneaking up on her from behind; only to bump into someone in front of her.

Stumbling a few steps back, she whirled her head around and she stared. "Potter?"

"Bloody hell, Parkinson!" Harry cursed when he nearly spilled his glass of water. He had been thirsty and had gone down to the kitchen to get himself a glass of water. He had been on the way to his room again, when Parkinson bumped into him. "You shouldn't be wandering around at this time of night."

Pansy kept staring Potter. "What? Where am I?" Then she looked around nervously.

"You're in my house." Harry sighed. "I _live_ here."

"Your house?!" Pansy nearly screeched. "What am I doing in your house? Why am I here?" Suddenly, a memory clicked in her mind and she pointed an accusing finger at Potter. "You kidnapped me!"

"You were possessed by that _lovely_ bracelet you had on your wrist. In order to take it off you, we had to bring you here." He calmly explained.

Pansy blinked and her hand reached her wrist again, grabbing it tightly. "My bracelet, you took my bracelet!" She paused. "I was possessed?"

"Yes, you were." Harry took a sip off his glass of water. "Parkinson, go back to bed. I'll give you a proper explanation in the morning."

"But… but Tom, what about Tom?" She gripped onto Potter's shirt and looked pleadingly at him. "Is Tom alright?"

Harry held the glass of water away from her as not to spill it. "Tom was the one possessing you, Parkinson." He quietly said. "He is not who you think he is."

Pansy stared at him, her eyes wide. "No, he wouldn't do that. Tom is my friend…" She began to feel dizzy and she put a hand to her head with a grimace. "He… wouldn't… Tom wouldn't..." Darkness enveloped her and she fainted, falling to the floor in a heap.

"Shite." Harry mumbled as he kneeled down beside her. Suddenly, there was pounding on one of the doors a bit further in the hallway. Harry groaned.

"Potter!" Malfoy's voice called out. "What was that thud? I heard Pansy yelling! What's going on?"

"She's fine, Malfoy." Harry called back with a roll of his eyes. "She just fainted."

"What? How? What's going on? I want to see her!" Draco pounded harder on the wood. "Unlock this bloody door!"

"She is _fine_, Malfoy." Harry growled. "Go back to bed!"

"I want to see for myself, Potter!"

"Go back to bed!" Harry angrily yelled. He picked Pansy up with a sigh and carried her into her own bedroom, carefully placing her on the bed, before going back to his own bedroom. But before he entered, he walked over to the door Malfoy was still pounding on. "Malfoy, _stop_ pounding on the door right _now_ before I put a body-bind and a silencing spell on you!"

The pounding instantly ceased. Harry shook his head and returned to his own room to get some more sleep for the remainder of the night.

* * *

The next morning, Harry unlocked the door to Malfoy's bedroom, before going down to the kitchen. He figured that Malfoy could decide for himself whether to come down for breakfast or stay up in his room like the stubborn git he was. For Parkinson, on the other hand, it was different. She had been brought here as some sort of _prisoner_ and Harry didn't think she would want to eat downstairs.

Usually, he wouldn't have cared for a Slytherin's opinion, but he supposed he could let it pass for one day. He had no idea when she would be waking up after her little outburst last night. He made a pot of tea, munching on a piece of toast while he waited for it to boil. He poured himself a cup, before preparing a small breakfast for Parkinson.

He went up to her room, a cup of tea and a plate with some buttered toast in his hand, and carefully knocked on the door. He listened for about ten seconds, but there was no reply. Quietly, he slipped into the room, putting the toast and the tea on the bedside table, before turning around to leave again.

Pansy had been dozing in the comfortable bed for a little while, unwilling to get up, until she heard the door open with a soft click. She stayed still and waited for something to happen, but when she only heard something being placed on the table beside the bed she frowned. Turning around, she saw the retreating back of Harry Potter and a plate of food and a cup of tea on the bedside table. "Potter?" She mumbled sleepily.

Harry halted and glanced over his shoulder. "I had no idea you were awake already...."

"Not really." Pansy muttered and yawned.

"Well, go back to sleep if you want. Your breakfast is on the bedside table." Harry shrugged, starting towards the door again. "Come down later if you like."

"Potter." She said to stop him from leaving. Pansy moved around to sit comfortably against the headboard of the bed and reached for the cup of tea. "Could you…" She stopped, not knowing exactly what she wanted to ask.

He turned around again, hands stuffed in his pockets. He cocked an eyebrow. "Could I what?"

Taking a sip of the warm liquid, she looked up at him. "Could you please tell me what's going on? Everything is all muddled up."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, sitting himself down on the chair beside the bed. "It's a long story." He quietly said. "I won't bore you with details. You've been brought here because of the bracelet. That bracelet is dangerous, which is why we had to get it off you. It will be destroyed soon and in the mean while, you will be staying here." He paused. "I don't think you quite understand what that bracelet has done to you."

Pansy stared at him for a couple of moments, then sighed. "And Tom…? What is he? I mean... He was my friend and I still can't believe that he would something like that to me." She shook her head in denial "Are you absolutely sure?"

"That Tom you're talking about is no one else than a young Voldemort." Harry replied. "I know who he is. I've met him myself before. He's dangerous and by no means your friend, Parkinson." It was strange for him, trying to make civil conversation with Pansy Parkinson. He wanted to explain to her what was going on, but he could understand it was rather difficult to come to terms with. "Yes, I am absolutely sure."

"V-vol…You-Know-Who? But Tom… how?" Pansy blinked rapidly. "You're joking, you must be. This is absurd, Potter. Why would the Dark Lord even bother? It's not like I could be of much use to him." She hastily took a calming sip of the tea, swallowing thickly.

"I am not joking." He shook his head, locking his gaze on hers. "Listen, Parkinson. Voldemort sent Malfoy to Hogwarts to find that bracelet. You happened to find it first. That bracelet is important to Voldemort, which is why you have been dragged into this mess. _Tom_ used you to do his bidding, Voldemort's bidding." He paused and sighed. "Can you even remember getting the Dark Mark?"

Shaking her head, Pansy frowned and put the now empty teacup back on the bedside table. "No, I don't remember anything." She slowly pushed the sleeve of her shirt up to her elbow, exposing the Dark Mark. "How can I not remember getting this?" She shoved her arm with the ugly black mark into Potter's face, her voice becoming louder and more desperate. "How?!"

"I believe that bracelet temporarily took over your mind, pulling the strings to make you do whatever Tom wanted you to do." Harry calmly spoke, pausing, before adding. "You are not to blame."

"But… what happens now? I'm wearing the Dark Mark. What is going to happen to me?" Pansy muttered softly more to herself than to Potter.

"You are not going anywhere for the time being." Harry said as he stood up. "At least you'll be safe here. Eat your breakfast, Parkinson, before it gets too cold." He left the room, leaving Pansy in peace to think about what he had just told her. He was quite certain it would take a while for it all to sink in.

* * *

Severus Floo-ed in at Grimmauld Place around noon and, with a short nod in greeting, he went past Potter, who was standing in the kitchen making a small lunch, and up the stairs towards the room Pansy had been placed in. He knocked once on the door, then went in and found the girl sitting on the bed and reading a book. She didn't look like she had noticed his entrance as she was engrossed in her reading.

He cleared his throat and watched her nearly jump off the bed in surprise. Arching an eyebrow, Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes instead. "Miss Parkinson. I trust you are well." He said coolly.

Pansy snorted softly when she had regained her composure. "About as well as I can be after I've been possessed by some psychotic spirit whom I thought was my friend."

Crossing his arms, Severus studied the girl. Her skin was rather pale and slightly sickly looking, nearly translucent. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them and her mouth was set in a grim line. Her body was bundled up in ridiculously large blanket. "Hn." He commented. "You are not feeling any ill effects, any nausea or disorientation?"

"No… None of those. What are you doing here, Professor?" Pansy asked, placing the book in her lap.

"I merely thought to make sure you were not dead or suffering from any after effects of the bracelet's power." He stared at her, his face expressionless. "You need more sun and perhaps some decent food."

Pansy hid a small grin by putting her book up in front of her face. It almost sounded like the Professor cared. Professor Severus Snape, who loathed children, teenagers and simply just students in general, more than anything, sounded concerned about her. When he looked at her with one of his eyes twitching in annoyance she began to giggle.

Severus stared at the girl who was now laughing loudly and nearly rolling around on the bed in the attempt to contain her mirth. "You are apparently well enough to laugh at what seems to be my expense, so you cannot be suffering too much." He sneered. "I have other things to do beside entertaining you, Miss Parkinson. Good day." Whirling around, he stalked out of the room, Pansy's laughter following him on the way out.

* * *

With a whooshing sound from the fireplace, Ron and Hermione arrived at Grimmauld Place. Hermione had the book about Horcruxes tightly tucked under her arm and immediately stalked in the direction of the drawing room, Ron right behind her. There they found Harry and Malfoy. Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance and the latter frowned. '_Malfoy and Harry in one room and they__'__re not at each others__'__ throats? This is new..._'

Harry looked up and gave a small smile at the both of them, before tucking his nose back into the Riddle diary. Malfoy was curled up in the armchair near the fire, plucking at the material of the armrest. He had looked up when Hermione and Ron had come in, but hadn't said anything and had simple gone back to being invisible.

"Find anything in that diary, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No." Harry shook his head with a sigh. "I've tried everything. I've even owled Lupin for advice, but he couldn't be of much help either."

"I figured as much." Hermione wryly smiled. "It's been destroyed. I don't think we could have gotten anything from it anyway. At least, not anymore."

Harry nodded. "How was your search? Found anything?"

"Yes, I did..." Hermione hesitated. "I found the spell to destroy a Horcrux and something else... But I'll keep that one for later." She licked her lips and opened the book on the table, pointing at the spell. "The spell requires more than one caster, however. The three of us would do, I suppose, but I prefer to have an adult present."

"We are adults, Hermione." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Legally, yes. But we are not fully trained, Ronald." Hermione sniffed. "I do not wish to risk my neck with some old spell. I'd prefer a professor to be present."

Severus stalked down the stairs, grumbling about annoying children, when he heard the voices coming form the drawing room. Seemed like the brats had assembled in there once again. He entered the room and looked at each of them. He was surprised to see that Draco and Potter were in the same room, though not talking to or looking at each other, and they appeared reasonably unharmed.

"There's one present." Harry looked over his shoulder at Snape, then cocked an eyebrow at Hermione.

Arching an eyebrow, Severus looked at Potter. "Present for what exactly?" He sneered and crossed his arms.

Ron couldn't help the scowl which crossed his face when he saw the greasy git in the doorway. "Does it have to be him? What about McGonagall? She could do it." Then he shrank back under the glare Snape shot at him.

"We cannot keep postponing it, Ronald." Hermione sniffed. "Those Horcruxes must be destroyed as soon as possible." She turned to look at Snape. "I have found the spell to destroy a Horcrux, but it requires at least three people. I'd rather play it safe and have a teacher helping us than attempting it by ourselves since we have no idea what might happen."

Severus nodded once and held out his hand, staring levelly at Granger. "The book, Miss Granger. I should take a look at this… spell before any of you attempt such a harebrained scheme."

Hermione handed him the book, sitting himself down next to Harry on the sofa. When Pansy had finally calmed down enough to stop laughing, she could hear the raised voices downstairs. It looked like everyone was down there. Not one to be left out when she could do something about it, Pansy got up from the bed and exited the small guest room. She descended the stairs on tiptoes, not wanting to alert them to her presence just yet less they sent her back upstairs. Stopping by the doorsill, she leaned against the wall and listened to their conversation.

Severus calmly took the book and began to flip through it, looking for the spell and any other information which could be of help to them. "Seems legitimate enough." He commented and read the spell over again.

Pansy didn't understand what they were talking about. What was legitimate? What were they discussing? She peeked into the room just to see what was going on, but promptly yanked her head back when Weasley noticed her. She breathed heavily, she had been discovered... _great_.

"Parkinson! Get your arse in here!" Weasley yelled angrily. "I saw you!"

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Pansy entered the room. She looked at the Professor for support, but he simply stared at her.

"How nice of you to join us, Miss Parkinson." Severus said coolly, rolling his eyes. Brilliant, he was surrounded by all of the brats. He snorted and looked once more at the spell, not wanting to miss anything which could perhaps prove fatal.

"Umm, yeah." Pansy answered meekly.

Harry just cast her a glance, not making a remark. He thought she looked pale and tired, sick even. Why had she come down in the first place? Shouldn't she be sleeping, or at least be in bed? '_Probably wanted to know what this little gathering was about._' He thought to himself, but couldn't blame her. He was pretty sure he would have done the same thing. "Sit yourself down somewhere." He sighed while he got up and looked at Snape. "I'll go get the bracelet."

"Very well." Severus agreed, not looking up from the book and waved Potter away.

Pansy nodded and hurried over to where Draco was huddled in a chair. She sat down on the sofa, which was right beside his armchair, and smiled slightly at him. Then she turned her head to observe the others with curiosity. "What are they doing?" She whispered.

"They're going to destroy the bracelet." Draco quietly replied. "It's a Horcrux."

"They're destroying the bracelet, now?" Pansy frowned and stared at him. "Wait… what is a Horcrux?"

"It's an object wherein a part of a soul has been stored." Draco looked at her. "In this case, the Dark Lord's."

Harry came back into the drawing room, a small tin box in his hands. He put it on the table and opened it. He took his wand out of his inner pocket.

"So they're just going to destroy it? Can they even do that? I mean… this is something the Dark Lord made, right?" Pansy glanced at Draco nervously, then muttered silently. "I cannot believe they're going to destroy my bracelet." Her head whipped around when the Professor suddenly called for Draco.

"Draco!" Severus snapped. "Would you care to come over here? Your… help might be needed."

Draco got out of his chair, muttering a quick apology to Pansy, before joining the small group. "What do you want me to do?" He looked at Snape.

Potter shoved the book in his chest. "Remember that spell and do it quickly." He coolly said. "What is it we have to do exactly, Hermione?"

"Well, according to the book we should all say the spell together and say it over and over again until the Horcrux has been destroyed." Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not sure what is _supposed_ to happen, though."

Severus arched an eyebrow. "No, the book does not state the consequences of the spell, other than that it will destroy the Horcrux." He sneered and took out his wand, gripping it tightly. "Take any precaution necessary."

Draco repeated the spell over and over again to himself, making sure he wouldn't mess up. He would rather sit in that armchair near the fire again, watching them destroy the Horcrux instead of actually participating. But he supposed helping wouldn't really hurt him, now would it? With a sigh, he reached for his wand. Ron and Hermione followed soon after.

Pansy watched with wide eyes as the group prepared to destroy what had once been hers. She flinched when she thought of Tom. He was still in the bracelet, wasn't he? Would he die when this was over? Could he even die if he was just a spirit? She sighed and found herself wishing she hadn't come down. It would probably have been safer for her to just have stayed in her room.

"Ready?" Harry asked, glancing at Ron and Hermione.

"Ready." Hermione said, while Ron simply nodded.

Severus rolled his eyes and simply nodded, keeping his eyes on both the teens and the bracelet in the box on the table.

Pansy gulped as she watched them. She wanted to stop them from doing this. She wanted to grab the bracelet and run away. But she also wanted it gone. Pansy shuddered at the thought of being possessed again. Even if Tom had been kind to her most of the time, he had manipulated her into being Marked.

They all pointed their wands at the silver jewel in the box, while Hermione started on the spell.

"Face ea res inanem animae. Malum, ede animam." She clearly spoke, the others soon joining in.

Pansy brought her feet up onto the sofa and wrapped her arms around her knees as she pressed them against her chest. She watched the group with wary eyes and gazed at the box, where the bracelet was in, with a nervous twitch. She could practically feel the magic in the room build up as the others kept chanting the words over and over. Feeling like she had been stabbed in the back, Pansy gasped and locked her fingers around her wrist where that piece of cursed jewellery had been once.

Severus muttered the words in a low tone of voice, watching the bracelet with keen eyes for any sign that something might go wrong. He shot glances at the others to make sure none of them wavered or seemed liked they were about to pass out. He knew this task would take a lot of power to complete and they would all, most likely, feel drained afterwards, if not worse.

Harry felt sweat trickle down his temple as he kept his eyes trained on the bracelet, saying the spell over and over again. The tension in the room was rising and he couldn't say he was liking it. The bracelet was starting to tremble in its box, a green glow starting to form around it. He gripped his wand even tighter, continuing to chant the spell.

Never straying once from chanting the words, Severus watched with growing concern as in addition to the glow a green mist began to rise from the silver bracelet. An outraged roar could be heard in the room for a short moment before it died. He smirked slightly at the image of Tom Riddle trapped inside the Horcrux with no way out.

Pansy winced at the distinctive voice of Tom. She knew it was him, it had to be. She had listened to that voice often enough and there was simply no mistaking it for someone else.

Slowly, a ghostly image of a furious dark-haired young man appeared. He was yelling and screaming, clearly protesting against the spell they were casting at him. Harry's gaze hardened, but didn't stop chanting.

"Potter!" The voice roared. His image was slowly starting to fade, but the voice still lingered. "You may have won this round, Potter! But it isn't over yet! Mark my words, Potter!"

After that, a big green cloud erupted from the bracelet with a rumbling sound. '_Almost..._' Harry thought to himself. The cloud slowly turned black, before exploding into nothing, leaving the room suddenly very silent. Harry stumbled backwards and heavily sat down on the sofa, wiping his brow on his sleeve.

Draco tried to catch his breath, going back to the armchair near the fire, watching the others finding themselves a seat, too. He never believed it could have been so hard on someone to banish a soul part from an object, but now he had experienced it for himself. He would rather not do it again any time soon.

Severus stared at the spot where Riddle, in all his fury and rage, had been. He snorted softly and walked over to one of the empty chairs, sitting down with a sigh.

"Is it over?"

Harry turned his around to look at Pansy who had spoken, slowly he nodded and ran a hand through his hair. One Horcrux had been destroyed and now they only needed… the rest.

"What happened to him?" Pansy asked quietly. "Where did he go?"

"He's gone." Hermione sighed. "Thank God, we got rid of him. Three down, three more to go."

"And then Voldemort." Harry quietly added, running a hand through his hair.

"Three more…" Severus sighed and looked at Potter. "Have you absolutely any inclinion as to what and where these last three Horcruxes could be?"

"We have the locket." Harry nodded, rubbing at his temples. "Then there's the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. And the last one, we have no clue..."

"Uhm... Guys?" Hermione quietly said. "About that last Horcrux... There was something else in that book, but I'd prefer not to discuss it with Malfoy and Parkinson still in the room."

Pansy blinked in surprise when Granger mentioned her name, she had slowly been drifting off into her own thoughts.

"Fine." Draco snorted and got up from the armchair, gently pulling Pansy up from the sofa as well. "Come on, Pansy. Lets go to the kitchen and make some tea." He began to drag her out of the room.

Pansy looked at him and then back at the others and with a huff, she allowed Draco to pull her out of the room. It was quite clear that they weren't wanted in there. Hermione watched them leave with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. She reached for the book again, turning to the appendix pages where she had found some information that worried her.

"I didn't mean to be rude when I sent them out." She quietly said. "But they don't need to know about this right away since it's still merely a guess."

"What do you mean, Hermione?" Ron asked, exhaustion from doing the spell was evident in his voice as he was slumped on the sofa. Sprawling on the soft fabric of the sofa, Ron made himself comfortable by stuffing a pillow behind his head.

"In the back of the book there are a number of Appendixes dealing with several specific facets of Horcruxes." She explained with a vague gesture as she stared down at the old pages. "One of them is about human Horcruxes."

She fell silent after that and Harry frowned. He didn't like where this was going. Hermione was usually rather excited when having found an important piece of information. Now, she seemed simply worried and _frightened_. Hermione shook her head. "It's just a guess... But I think that you could be a Horcrux, Harry."

Harry stared at her, his mind barely registering of what she was saying. "What?" He choked out.

* * *

Pansy tapped Draco on the shoulder. "What are they saying?" She whispered.

Draco was standing by the doorframe, hidden right beside it so Potter and the gang wouldn't spot him trying to listen in on the conversation. He couldn't understand why he and Pansy had to leave the room all of a sudden, while just moments before, he had been assisting them to destroy one of You-Know-Who's soul parts. He did feel a little cast aside all of a sudden.

"I can't hear it properly." Draco frowned. "They're not talking loud enough for me to understand it."

* * *

Severus arched an eyebrow and stared at Granger. "A human Horcrux, Miss Granger?" He frowned, then sneered. "Are you absolutely sure? What exactly made you think that Potter could possibly be a Horcrux?"

She glared at Snape sneering. Oh, how she _loathed_ that man. She turned back to the book and started reading out loud. "Beware, transferring a piece of soul into a human being may cause side effects in the human being such as a heightened magic level, abnormal abilities etc." She paused, then moved onto the next part. "Beware, storing a piece of the soul into a human being may cause a connection to form between the newly made Horcrux and the original maker." She looked up, worriedly looking at the others. Silently, she prayed for someone to prove her _wrong_ for once.

Harry swallowed, then took a deep breath. "That book is old, Hermione." He said, albeit his voice a bit shaky. "The descriptions are vague. They could mean anything. This doesn't necessarily have to mean that I'm a Horcrux..."

Severus narrowed his eyes and looked at the book in Granger's hand. "So you deducted from these… _bewares_ that Potter is a Horcrux? If that is true, then we have one less Horcrux to search for." He crossed his arms and said snidely. "However, how would you go about destroying the Horcrux… if it indeed is Mr. Potter?"

"The book only states that upon death of the human being the Horcrux is destroyed as well." Hermione softly said, looking away, not daring to look at Harry.

Ron jumped up from the sofa in outrage. "That can't be true! You have to be wrong this time, Hermione." He shook his head and began to pace. "So what? If Harry is a Horcrux… we have to kill him? I can't do that! I won't!"

"Do calm down, Mr. Weasley." Severus snarled, glaring at the pacing teenager. "Sit and shut up." He scratched lightly at his chin. "Use your mind for once… if you can manage that."

* * *

"Potter's a Horcrux?" Draco whispered, more to himself than to Pansy.

"He's a what?!" Pansy blinked, holding onto Draco's robes. "But how?"

"Shush, Pansy." Draco glared at her as he glanced over his shoulder, before turning his attention back to the conversation in the drawing room.

* * *

Ron stopped pacing and with a grumble he sat down on the sofa again, glaring at Snape.

"For every rule there is a loophole. It simply needs to be found." Severus rolled his eyes.

"Easy for you to say." Ron muttered sullenly. "It's not your life that's at stake."

Severus sneered and looked at Weasley with a glower. "No, of course it isn't. This is merely a war where anyone can die at any moment."

"Stop it," Hermione sharply said. "both of you. We are well aware of the risks of war. We all are."

Harry had been rather quiet throughout the whole ordeal, running a hand through his hair in thought. Could it really be true? Could he really be a Horcrux? What if he was? But what if there wasn't a loophole like Snape said? Would he have to kill himself then? He gulped. He was only seventeen. He didn't want to die just yet...

"As I was saying..." Hermione continued. "It's just a guess... But I thought it was _worth_ bringing it up. This is, after all, Harry's life we're talking about."

"Yes, _Harry__'__s_ life, Snape. Which is worth a hell of lot more than _yours_." Ron grumbled, glaring at said man who was sitting across the room from him. Luckily. Otherwise, he might had jumped Snape and tried to strangle him.

Arching an eyebrow, Severus stared coolly at Weasley. "How inventive you are with your insults, Mr. Weasley. Though perhaps, you might want to refrain from insulting someone who could help you in this situation?" A small, sardonic smirk played on his lips.

"Why you…" Ron began to get up, but deflated and slumped down on the sofa again. Snape was right. They needed his help even if he loathed to admit it. But he didn't have to like it. He crossed his arms and glowered at the greasy git.

"Now, if you are quite done, Mr. Weasley…" Severus scoffed and turned his attention to Granger and the book in her hands. "Miss Granger, you have, of course, checked all the _bewares_ through more than once?"

"Yes, I have." She nodded and handed him the book. "That's all the book mentions on the subject."

Severus took the proffered book and opened it to the page which mentioned the human Horcruxes. He read it through with narrowed eyes. "It does not look too well for you, Mr. Potter." He glanced at the boy in question, then at Granger. "Don't be daft, Miss Granger. There is always a way out and if Potter is indeed a Horcrux, though it is doubtful, it can be done." Severus snarled. "I sincerely doubt that the Dark Lord would create a Horcrux within a living body. It is simply too dangerous and he would have no control over this person. What if the Horcrux suddenly died of natural causes? Then the Dark Lord would be missing a piece."

"I know." Hermione coolly replied. "But when I started thinking about it, I believe there have also been other indications that might support my guessing."

"Oh?" Severus arched an eyebrow, then looked levelly at Granger. "And what might those indications be?"  
"There _is_ a connection between Voldemort and Harry." Hermione answered. "Harry has had dreams in which he could see things related to Voldemort. For example, Harry saw when Mr. Weasley had been bitten by a giant snake. Harry's mentioned often enough that his scar pricks after waking up from such a dream... " She paused. "Also, Harry's able to speak Parseltongue, an ability which belongs with Salazar Slytherin. Voldemort is a descendant of Slytherin and speaks Parseltongue."

"Dumbledore did say at one point that he believed that Voldemort had _transferred_ a part of his magic into me the night he tried to kill me." Harry added, causing the others to look at him, blinking. He couldn't help but give a small smile at that. He _had_ been rather quiet.

"Right." Hermione nodded, looking back at Snape. "If Voldemort did make Harry a Horcrux that night, it is not impossible. He had just killed two people. He could have." She ran her hand through her hair again with a sigh. "You are right, however. It would not have been logical to pick a human to place a piece of his soul in, but maybe he hadn't meant to? Maybe it happened accidentally when the Killing Curse backfired? I'm sorry, Professor, but I find it hard to believe that this is all a mere coincidence."

Severus stared at the girl with a thoughtful expression. She was indeed on to something. "A mere coincidence which was partly the cause of his fall, Miss Granger." He noted. "However, I still find it difficult to believe. The Dark Lord has been after Mr. Potter for years, wanting him dead. Why would he attempt to destroy one of his own creations? While the Prophecy may play a part in the very beginning and offered the opportunity to create a Horcrux within Mr. Potter, destroying what should allow the Dark Lord to stay immortal and alive does not seem reasonable nor plausible." Severus scoffed.

"It does make sense somehow..." Hermione hesitated. "Let's assume Voldemort hadn't intended to place a soul part in Harry. I'm sure Voldemort knew the risks about creating a human Horcrux, so why not try and kill it? Why not make one sacrifice and get rid of whatever could come back for him, so to speak? Voldemort never intended anyone to find the remaining Horcruxes, he probably thought them to be safe from destruction. But Harry proved to be a risk. According to Voldemort's actions throughout the years, risks should be eliminated."

Narrowing his eyes, Severus could only nod. "Perhaps, Miss Granger. Though I still doubt it, the only way to find out if this is indeed the case is to test it."

"But how?" Ron frowned. He, too, had been rather quiet. He had listened to Snape and Hermione discuss back and forth with interest, thinking - how bad it might eventually be - she did have a valid point.

They all fell silent for a few minutes. Hermione was the first to speak again. "Maybe we should test it with something not so recent..." She frowned. "To make sure the connection is really there, no matter how fresh or old the magic may be. But how?"

"Godric's Hollow." Harry quietly said.

"Where it all began. The irony of fate." Severus snorted. "However, it may be the best way of determining the certainty of these… indications." He looked at the teenagers with a sneer on his lips, though held it back at the last second.

"We'll go." Harry firmly said.

Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance, before looking at Harry. "What do we do with Malfoy and Parkinson?" Hermione frowned. "I wouldn't leave them here all by themselves."

"Yeah, mate." Ron nodded. "I don't trust them."

"And I doubt Professor Lupin would have the time to come keep an eye on them. We don't know how long it will take..." Hermione sighed.

"Then we take them with us." Harry gave a curt nod. "No other options left. We take them along to Godric's Hollow."


	16. 16 De Domu Veniendo

Title : Ars Virgarum - _ De Domu Veniendo _  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-16-78121257

* * *

_16 - De Domu Veniendo _

A breeze ruffled through Harry's hair as he stood in the middle of a deserted street. He had his wand gripped tightly into his hand, staring at the road ahead. This was it. He glanced over his shoulder at the feel of a hand being placed on his arm. He looked into the worried face of Hermione.

"Harry...?" She whispered.

"It's alright." Harry nodded. "I'm alright."

Pansy looked around the desolate area with a grimace. This was where they were supposed to be? Had Potter gotten the address wrong? She turned around in a full circle, taking in everything there was to see. This couldn't be it. Suddenly, she felt a warmth by her side and she noticed that the temperature was rather cool for the end of March.

"This is it?" Draco muttered beside her, an uneasy expression on his face.

"Seems like it." She said to him and gently bumped their shoulders as they walked a little closer to the Gryffindors.

Harry turned around, locking eyes with Ron, then Hermione for a moment before looking at Malfoy and Parkinson. "Wands out." He coolly said. "We're not taking any risks. Don't try and pull a trick on us, either. Consider yourself warned." After that, he turned around again and started walking.

Ron grumbled and pointedly looked away from Malfoy and Parkinson. He still couldn't believe they had to let those two tag along. Even if Harry was right about not wanting to leave them behind at Grimmauld Place without anyone to watch them, it didn't have to mean that they had to be burdened with them.

Looking around warily, Harry didn't even know what he was searching for. Godric's Hollow was a small village, only three streets large, but it was as deserted as the Hogwarts halls on a cold winter night. Dust had gathered on the windowsills and to Harry, it seemed like time had stood still. It seemed like not a soul had ever lived here, like this village had just been planted here and left to wither. He had no idea what he would find here and it was making him nervous. It was strange to be searching for something when you didn't know what to expect. All the houses looked alike and Harry had no idea which one could have belonged to his parents.

Suddenly, he stopped, noticing a ruin at the end of the street. He frowned. Could that be it? He looked around again. None of the other houses had been destroyed, so that _had_ to be it. He swallowed the lump in his throat and started walking toward it, picking up the pace.

Blinking when Harry suddenly disappeared from his side, Ron was about to call after him, but decided to catch up with him instead. He ran up to where Harry had stopped and stared at the place in front of them. "Is this… it?" He asked softly.

Harry chose to ignore Ron's question for a moment, taking another few steps towards it. He grimaced and hissed when he felt the prickling in his scar, rubbing at it. Hermione shivered involuntarily, clutching at Ron's robe. There was something strange about this place, but she couldn't really put her finger on it. She couldn't say she particularly liked this.

They were met by the sight of a real ruin. All that was still standing was the doorframe, while the door hung from its hinges. A gust swept through, rustling their robes as they all stared at what where the remains of the Potters' house, waiting for Harry to make the first move.

Draco wrinkled his nose as he looked at what apparently was supposed to be the Potters' old house. It looked like a pair of giants had had a merry dance on top of it. He glanced at Potter who seemed to be feeling rather discomforted, if his face was anything to go by. A slight tug at the sleeve of his robes alerted him to Pansy's presence and he turned his attention to her. She was frowning. "What is it, Pansy?"

"Something is odd." Pansy muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know." She answered softly and looked at him. "It's just weird feeling."

Draco looked at her for a few more moments before returning to stare at Potter. What were they going to do now?

At the sound of Malfoy and Parkinson exchanging words, Harry turned around. He frowned at the sight of the girl clinging to Malfoy's side. She was trembling and suddenly, Harry wondered if she could feel it, too. With his hand still pressed against his scar, he reached for Pansy with the other one.

Pansy stared at the hand outstretched toward her, then at Potter. She frowned and said nervously. "What?"

"I know you can feel it, Parkinson." Harry softly said, not withdrawing his hand. "You'll just have to trust me on this one."

With a glance at Draco, Pansy slowly reached out her hand and grasped Potter's. She nodded at him and stepped closer to Potter. "What now? I mean, I would rather not feel this… magic."

"Potter, what are you doing with her?" Draco frowned, reluctant to let her step away from him. "If this is one of your tricks..."

Harry blatantly ignored Malfoy, turning his attention to Pansy. "You _will_ feel it whether you want to or not." He quietly spoke. "You've been connected to him for a rather long time. I don't expect it to be broken in a matter of days." Her hand felt cool in his and he had the urge to give it a reassuring squeeze, but decided against it. He gently pulled her along as he finally made his entrance to what used to be the house he had been born in. '_At least you can understand what it feels like._' He thought to himself, suppressing another hiss as the prickling in his scar became more painful.

Hermione looked at Ron with a sigh, before following them. Her worry grew with every second that passed, her mind only on the possibility that Harry could actually be a Horcrux. So far her theory hadn't seemed to be proven wrong just yet.

Ron stared at Harry and Parkinson's joined hands in shock. What was going on now? He walked beside Hermione and gently prodded her. "What are they talking about? I don't feel anything."

Hermione blinked and stared at him. "Ronald, you idiot." She hissed, smacking his arm. "Don't you understand? When Voldemort - stop cringing, Ronald - killed Harry's parents, he left a residue of magic behind. Due to Harry's scar and Parkinson's contact with the bracelet, they are able to feel it."

"Potter's parents were killed here?" Draco meekly asked.

Hermione nodded. "Which is why Harry had to return here at some point."

Draco frowned. "Why?"

Hermione sighed, realising Malfoy and Parkinson had not been part of the conversation the other day. "This is neither the time or the place for explanations, Malfoy." She muttered. "I'll explain later. Come on."

Pansy allowed Potter to drag her further into the ruin, when the strange feeling intensified. It was like a bucket of ice cold water had been poured over her head and it was slowly dripping down onto the rest of her body. She shivered involuntarily and clenched her hand around Potter's. "I don't like this." She muttered timidly.

"Me neither." Harry mumbled back. He looked around.

The place was a mess. Shards of glass and pieces of wood and steel were scattered across the ground, covered with a thick layer of dust. There was a quite unharmed commode standing against the wall and Harry swiped his hand over it, wiping some dust off it. At that moment, a searing pain shot through his scar and he had to lean his back against the wall for support. He let go of Pansy's hand, pressing both of his palms against his forehead in an attempt to lessen the pain while he scrunched his eyes shut. His knees buckled and he slid down the wall, trying to catch his breath.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled, releasing Ron's arm and running over to him. She squatted down in front of him, putting a hand on his knee. "Are you alright, Harry? What is it? Is it Voldemort?"

Ron quickly rushed over to Harry's side as well, sitting on his heels he looked worriedly at his best friends. "Harry?" He whispered, then gasped as he saw the small trickle of blood run down Harry's forehead. "Bloody hell, your scar is bleeding."

Pansy took a step backwards and stared at Potter. Then she looked helplessly at Draco who was standing off to the side. She really didn't like the feel of this place. She wanted to leave _now_.

Harry could only hear their faint voices as his mind was warped back sixteen years ago, to the night of his parents' death. He recognised his mother's high, piercing scream before the green light of the Avada Kedavra hit her body, causing her to fall to the floor. A dark-cloaked figure advanced on a crib, looking over its edge to sneer at the baby lying in it. When the green light emitted from the tip of Voldemort's wand, Harry snapped out of it, panting harshly.

He noticed Ron and Hermione sitting by his side and motioned for them to get up and take a look around, while he tried to regain his breath. They both nodded, getting up and starting to search for something else that might be relevant on their quest. Harry turned to Pansy, gesturing for her to get closer while he struggled to get back on his feet. He was still leaning a hand against the half-destroyed wall to stay upright, his palm leaving a bloody print on the grimy wallpaper.

Pansy swallowed a lump in her throat and slowly moved closer to Potter. She glanced at him nervously. "What happened?" She asked quietly. "Why did your scar begin to bleed?"

Harry frowned and looked at the blood on his palm, before wiping it on his robe. He made a vague gesture around the room. "Flashback... Voldemort..." He wheezed. "This place... Tell me what you feel..."

"The Dark Lord? He isn't here, is he?" She jerked her around to look over her shoulders, her arms wrapping around her waist as she shuddered at the thought. The cool sensation was back and brought chills to her body. "Cold, I feel so cold." Pansy whispered.

"Was." Harry finally regained his breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a sigh. "He was. A long time ago." He carefully placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly, before looking at Malfoy who was glancing around with a lost expression on his face. "Malfoy, give her your robe."

Draco blinked and took off his robe, walking towards them, before wrapping it around Pansy's shoulders with a frown. Harry nodded at him and withdrew his hand from Pansy's shoulder. He turned around, stumbling lightly as he took a few steps in Ron and Hermione's direction. He noticed Hermione crouched onto the floor, reaching out to pick up something what seemed to be a photo frame.

"Hermione, leave it!" He snarled, suddenly angry.

Hermione jerked her hand away, looking over her shoulder, before standing up. She turned around to face him, shifting nervously. Harry ran a hand through his hair, feeling nauseous all of a sudden.

"Come on, let's go." He whispered, turning away and starting to go back outside, suddenly wanting to be as far from this place as possible.

Pansy felt like a heavy load had been taken off her shoulders at Potter's words. They were leaving. Pulling the robes tighter around her body, she smiled gratefully at Draco before hurrying after Potter wanting to get away from the ruins as fast as possible.

Ron was looking through the rubble, pushing bits and pieces aside as he searched for something, anything which could be helpful. With a sigh, he shook his head and brought a hand across his forehead, wiping away the small beads of sweat which had formed during his search. He hadn't found anything. So when he spotted the others leaving the area, he hastily ran after them. "Hey! Wait for me!" He called out and nearly stumbled over a jagged piece of rock. Though, he quickly managed to stop himself from falling and caught up with the others.

Harry pulled at his robes, fastening them. He wasn't really sure when he had put his wand away, but he didn't think he would need it now. He patted his inner pocket to make sure it was there. It was. He stalked his way to the streets again, glancing around. He could hear the footsteps of the others behind them. They were all quiet. Harry smiled grimly to himself.

He was ready to come to a halt and tell them to Apparate back to London, when he noticed a rusty gate from the corner of his eyes. When he turned to look at it, his heart skipped a beat. Old, crumbling walls, a rusty gate... Through the gate, he could spot a few tombstones, while the top of a dead yew tree stuck up from behind one of the walls. A graveyard... He changed directions and headed towards it.

Once again Ron saw Harry stalk away from them in a completely different direction. He scratched the back of his head in confusion and with a shrug, he decided to follow him. Walking past the rusty gates, he stopped by Harry's side and took the sight before him. A cemetery. He frowned, then glanced at Harry with questioning eyes. "Do you think…?" He stopped, not really wanting to finish that sentence.

"I do." Harry quietly said, looking between the graves for any sign that might indicate two of these belonged to his mother and father. He began to wander between them.

When Ron wanted to follow him, Hermione pulled his sleeve. "I think Harry has to do this by himself, Ron." She whispered. "Give him some time."

Ron nodded slowly and stayed by Hermione's side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her arm gently. "Yeah…"

Pansy stared at the Gryffindors as the three of them disappeared into a graveyard, then glanced at Draco with a confused expression. She wondered what they were doing and began to walk further into the place, but was stopped by Weasley's outstretched arm and the glare directed at her from Weasley. She cowered slightly and stepped back with a small nod.

Hermione sighed and pulled Ron's arm down. "Leave her, Ron." She softly said.

Draco stood beside Pansy, a little confused. What were they doing standing here? Potter seemed to be looking for something, but shouldn't Weasley and Granger be there with him? When he noticed Potter squatting down in front of two tombs that had been placed next to each other, he swallowed. His parents... He looked away, eyes aimed at the ground, as he was suddenly reminded of his own recent loss.

* * *

When they all arrived at Grimmauld Place, Harry immediately headed for the stairs. He wanted to be alone for a while. The trip to Godric's Hollow had been tougher than he had expected, the confrontation with his past harsh. Hermione called out for him when he was half-way up the stairs.

"Harry, shouldn't we owl Snape or something?" She asked with a frown.

Harry shrugged. "Go ahead. I'll be in my room. I just want to be alone for a while." After that, he climbed the rest of the staircase and slammed the bedroom door shut.

Hermione cringed and with a sigh, she went to fetch Hedwig. After sending the owl to Snape, she made some tea, before bringing the tray into the drawing room. "Anyone else wanting tea?" She gave a small smile.

Draco looked up at the question and silently raised his hand. Ron raised his hand as well and went over to Hermione to help with what little he could. He mutely handed Malfoy a cup of tea, then sat down in one of the chairs with his own.

Pansy sat down on the sofa, ignoring Granger's question. Her eyes stared sightlessly at the floor. She pulled Draco's robes tighter around her body and shivered even though the drawing room was rather warm. She couldn't shake the ominous feeling that she had had since leaving the small town where everything had apparently begun. Shuddering against her will, she brought her legs up onto the sofa and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Seeing Pansy shiver, Draco poured another cup of tea and handed it to her. She seemed to be cold or something, however he had the feeling their little trip to that village had left her pretty shaky. Hermione looked at the two Slytherins with a frown.

"Parkinson, are you alright?"

Jerking her head up to stare at Granger, Pansy shook her head slowly. "I don't know. It's just… I feel so cold." She clutched the hem of the robes tightly.

Hermione nodded, watching Malfoy rubbing her back soothingly. He looked up at Hermione.

"What happened back there?" He asked. "What was that place?"

"The house of Harry's parents, they lived there before You-Know-Who killed them. The magic which was used that night, is still around… in some form, I think." Ron scratched the back of his head while looking questioningly at Hermione.

Hermione sighed. "Something like that. It's a bit more complicated than that..."

"Complicated?" Pansy muttered and continued to stare at Granger. "It was Dark magic, so thickly permeating the area that it still sends shivers down my spine. Potter said he saw something… through his scar?" She tilted her head to one side in confusion.

"That is no ordinary scar." Hermione stirred some sugar into her cup of tea. "It's what connects him to Voldemort in some way. Did Harry tell you what he saw?"

Pansy shook her head. "No, he only mentioned a flashback and the Dark Lord. What do you mean his scar connects Potter to him? I thought it was just a scar left on him after he survived the Killing Curse."

"Don't you see, Pansy?" Draco whispered. "Potter's the only one who's ever survived the Killing Curse. Mad-Eye said so himself in class in fourth year." He looked at Granger. "What exactly _is_ that scar?"

"Like Parkinson says, it was the only thing he suffered from the Killing Curse." Hermione explained. "But Harry's _seen_ things in dreams through that scar. Voldemort only discovered that later and used it to his own advantage."

"What do you mean?" Draco frowned.

"For example, the night your father was arrested at the Ministry..." Hermione quietly replied. "was a trap. We were lured there when Voldemort sent an image to Harry of Sirius being in danger."

"What? How is that even possible?" Pansy blinked and gaped at Granger. Then she shuddered again and huddled back into her nest created by Draco's robes.

"I don't know the exact facts, but I'm sure Voldemort found a way." She sadly shook her head, before looking at Ron. "I believe we can be quite sure that Harry's a Horcrux, Ron. After the display in Godric's Hollow..." She didn't even want to finish that sentence.

Ron nodded. "Yeah… I guess we can." He sighed and grumbled. "Why does this always happen to Harry? He's attracts Dark Magic like no other."

"His life started out with Dark magic, Ron." Hermione ran a hand through her hair, before taking a sip of her tea. "It all started with that stupid prophecy..."

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Pansy frowned as she slowly reached for a cup of tea. She needed something hot to drink, something to warm her up.

* * *

Severus stepped out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place, his robes billowing out behind him as he left the room. He had left his mother's house as soon as Potter's owl had arrived with the note stating that Potter and the others had returned. Entering the drawing room, he found them discussing the prophecy of all things and with a roll of his eyes, he knocked once on the doorsill.

Hermione was about to answer Pansy's question when a knock on the doorsill drew her attention. It seemed that Snape had arrived. She nodded at him in greeting.

Severus moved further into the room, arching an eyebrow. "Interesting topic of conversation, Miss Granger."

Hermione's expression hardened. "Quite, isn't it? Since you happen to know all about it."

Draco blinked, looking between the two of them. Since his stay at Grimmauld Place, he had never heard Granger using such a harsh tone when directly addressing Snape.

Snorting softly, Severus smirked. "Of course, Miss Granger. And it seems you know all about it as well." He sat down in one of the empty chairs after pouring himself a cup of tea, he would need it if he was going to explain anything to the brats. "Prophecies are doubtful and full of contrasting elements… that is until someone is stupid enough to try and overturn it."

"With a little help." Hermione added with a snarl.

Severus rolled his eyes. "What's done is done, Miss Granger. Nothing can make it any different, unless you had a device which could allow you to travel back several years." He arched an eyebrow, looking significantly at the girl. "But perhaps it was "prophesised" that what happened was supposed to happen." Severus scoffed.

"Oh sure, ratting them out certainly was part of the prophecy." Hermione sneered, her eyes narrowing.

Draco stared at Snape, before shaking his head. This could go on for hours if someone didn't put a stop to it. He glanced at Weasley. '_Alright, I don__'__t have to expect help from that corner..._' He sighed to himself. "What exactly was in that prophecy?" He spoke up.

Turning his head around, Severus stared at Draco and frowned. "The prophecy? That a child would be born at the end of July, the same year as the prophecy was made. The child would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord and the child's parents would have already defied the Dark Lord three times." He sipped from his cup of tea once before continuing. "The child would have the power the Dark Lord knows not… and would be marked as an equal. However neither can live while the other endures."

Pansy looked at Snape. "So Potter's scar is the mark of the equal? I mean, he got it that exact night."

Severus merely nodded and once again drank of his tea, what he would have given for a nice glass of scotch instead.

"But Snape just managed to run off to Voldemort after having heard the first part." Hermione scowled, before sighing. "Fine. That's not the point why we owled you anyway."

Sighing, Severus turned his attention back to Granger. "Indeed. And what would this point be then, Miss Granger?"

"According to Parkinson, Harry had a flashback when we were at Godric's Hollow. I think we can be quite sure that Harry's a Horcrux." She sighed, sipping her tea again.

"According to Parkinson?" Severus arched an eyebrow, then pursed his lips. "How _fortunate_ that Mr. Potter should turn out to be one after all. Then there is only the last Horcrux which needs to be found… and of course a way to destroy the one within Mr. Potter."

"I had a eerie feeling at the place, Professor. Potter asked me what I could sense…" Pansy explained, then muttered. "Because of the connection with the bracelet. But the feeling was really creepy and then, suddenly, Potter was holding his head and mumbled about the Dark Lord and flashbacks."

Severus nodded and crossed his arms, after having placed his teacup on the small table beside him. "Dark magic would be saturating the air in such a place. Even if years have passed since the event took place. It is then no wonder, considering who was the perpetrator of that magical event, that Mr. Potter was having flashbacks."

Hermione sighed. "So how do we get rid of that Horcrux?" She had said the words before she had actually time to think about them. She didn't really want to hear the answer.

Severus looked levelly at Granger. "I doubt Mr. Potter would be content with being treated as the other Horcruxes. He, of course, needs _special_ attention." He rolled his eyes and shrugged. "It is a difficult matter, intriguing."

Hermione glared at him. "Very funny."

"Even for you, that was cruel." Draco snorted, before glancing at Pansy. The shivering had worsened, he could feel it under his touch. He couldn't help but think she had gone rather pale, too. He frowned. "Pansy, you feeling alright?"

Pansy shivered and looked at Draco. "No… I... Can I please go to my room?" She whispered and began to get up, letting the robes fall onto the sofa.

Severus glanced her over, ignoring Draco's previous remark. "Yes, Miss Parkinson, please do. It would seem like an appropriate thing to do." He paused, before going on. "Speaking of which, where is Mr. Potter? Did he not return with you from Godric's Hollow?"

"He's up in his room." Hermione got up. "I'll go get him."

"I can do it." Pansy offered meekly. "I mean, I'm going upstairs anyway." She began to walk toward the door.

"Oh. Yeah, sure..." Hermione shrugged as she sat back down.

Pansy silently went up the stairs and down the hallway until she reached Potter's room. She knocked softly, waiting for him to answer. Sighing, she ran a hand across her forehead and she could feel its warmth seep into the skin of her hand. Pansy shivered slightly and just wanted to tell Potter to go downstairs, then crawl under the covers of her bed and fall asleep. '_Maybe for a year or so._' She thought to herself.

Harry heaved a sigh when he heard the knock on his door. He got up from the bed and answered the door. He hadn't really expected Pansy to be standing in front of it. He frowned. She didn't look so well.

She looked up and found Potter staring at her, she swallowed. "Potter… They're asking for you downstairs. Professor Snape is here too."

He nodded. "Yeah, alright. Thanks." He closed the door and started down the stairs, stopping as he glanced over his shoulder while a small smile played across his lips. "Get some sleep, Parkinson. You look like shite."

Pansy snorted, then smiled. "Likewise, Potter." She turned around and disappeared into her room, closing the door with a soft click. She quickly crawled into her bed and snuggled under the covers in an attempt to get warm.

He watched her disappear into her room and shook his head with a sigh. "Like you said yourself, they asked for me downstairs." He mumbled to himself.

He entered the drawing room, sitting himself down on the sofa and helping himself to a cup of tea. "You asked for me?"

Ron grinned at Harry and shrugged. "Yeah, mate. And it was probably the only way to get them to stop bickering."

"Fascinating, Mr. Weasley." Severus uttered, his face set in a bored expression. "Perhaps you would like to be present for this discussion, Mr. Potter. After all, it does concern you."

Harry nodded, stirring his tea. He chose to remain quiet. After all, he knew what this conversation would be about. Draco glanced around the room. He couldn't say he felt really comfortable being still present. He considered leaving as well, but his curiosity was begging him to stay.

"So it seems that you are a Horcrux after all, Mr. Potter." Severus remarked as he decided to refill his cup with the lukewarm tea.

Harry ceased stirring, shooting a glare at Snape. "Love to rub it in, don't you?" He said between gritted teeth.

"Merely stating a fact." Severus smirked and stirred a spoonful of sugar into his own tea. "Of course, it does give us an advantage, considering that we no longer have to look for two Horcruxes, but only one."

"I am not particularly looking forward to dying to destroy the bloody thing." Harry bit out.

"Hn. Then we shall simply have to avoid that, Mr. Potter." He brought his cup up to his lips and sipped casually. Severus glanced at Potter who seemed just as drawn and pale as Parkinson.

"Any ideas how?" Harry snorted.

"None yet." Severus said as he swirled the few remaining drops of tea around in the cup.

"Do you believe that puts me at ease?" Harry snarled.

Severus scratched lightly at his chin with one finger, feeling the stubble against his skin. "Hardly. Though it is the truth. Right now, nothing can be done. Horcruxes are an obscure form of magic on which only very little is written, as you know.

"All we have is that stupid book." Harry muttered as he sipped his tea.

Nodding, Severus downed the last of his tea. However, he stopped as he was about to put the cup on the table. "The book. Miss Granger, hand me the book if you please."

Hermione frowned, but picked the book off the shelf behind her and handed it to him. "What about the book?" She asked.

Severus took the book and opened it on the page where the details about the Human Horcruxes were written. Then he held it up in front of her. "Quite simple. A human Horcrux, like any other Horcrux, has a part of the maker's soul. The only way to destroy a Horcrux without causing considerable damage to the caster is if the maker personally destroys it. An opportunity which can be used to our advantage."

"So you mean Harry could destroy a Horcrux by himself?" Hermione asked, re-reading the part where it had been written down on the page. "Wouldn't that be risky? I mean... We don't know how much energy it will take, or how much magic..."

"He could indeed. However, it still takes a great deal of strength to pull it off, Miss Granger." He nodded and closed the book again. "And it would be unwise to attempt to destroy a Horcrux by himself."

"We can worry about that later." Harry interrupted. "We still need to find the cup of Hufflepuff. Hermione, any ideas on where it could be?"

"Well, since the Horcruxes where supposed to be hidden on a place that was of any importance to Voldemort..." She pondered out loud. "There was the cave, the old Riddle house, Hogwarts..." She paused. "What about the orphanage he used to stay in?"

Harry nodded. "But we don't know its exact location."

"We could guess." Ron spoke up. "I noticed an address imprinted on the inside of the destroyed diary. Maybe it was bought somewhere in the neighbourhood?"

Hermione nodded. "Good thinking, Ron. I suggest we check it out tomorrow. I'm sure I have an old map of London at home. I can bring it with me tomorrow."

"And of course, we shall have to find a method of destroying the Horcruxes, using the newfound talent of Mr. Potter." Severus added.

Harry let out a heavy sigh. "Great." He muttered into his cup of tea. "Just _great_."


	17. 17 De Alea Successus

Title : Ars Virgarum - _De Alea Successus _  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-17-78121424

* * *

_17 - De Alea Successus _

Hermione folded the map of London she had brought with her when she came to Grimmauld Place. She and Ron were going to go to Vauxhall Road where Riddle had purchased the diary. Maybe they could ask around there and ask if there was an orphanage in the neighbourhood. Hermione had looked it up at home, but she had found no mention of an orphanage, but of course, that didn't mean there wasn't one. She looked at Ron and then at Harry.

"We'll be leaving, Harry." She said with a nod. "We'll be back as soon as possible. Hopefully with the cup."

"Be careful if you find it." Harry replied. "You never know with those Horcruxes. I don't trust those things for one bit."

"We will, mate." Ron reassured him with a small grin. "Hermione will make sure I don't do anything stupid."

Hermione smacked him in the arm with a roll of her eyes, before they both left through the front door, looking for a place to Apparate to Vauxhall Road. Harry heaved a sigh and sat down on the sofa, running a hand through his hair. He stared at the sealed wooden box on the table in front of him. According to Snape, he would be able to destroy the Horcrux inside that locket all by himself, but he couldn't say he was too sure about it.

Severus watched Weasley and Granger leave, then turned his head around to look at Potter with an arched eyebrow. He leaned back against the high back of his chair and let his hands fall to the armrests on either side. Studying the young man, Severus rolled his eyes. Potter looked rather worse for wear, his skin was pale and eyes were shadowed. What had happened in Godric's Hollow had clearly left its mark on him.

'_Stupid child._' Severus thought. If the vision or flashback Potter had had would leave him in such a state, then he had without doubt been neglecting to practise Occlumency at a far worse extent than he had thought at first. Straightening his posture, Severus leaned forward to stare at the wooden box, then at Potter. "Well, Mr. Potter. Are you ready to exploit your new ability?" The sooner they managed to destroy the Horcrux the better.

"I doubt I'll ever be ready for this." Harry snorted. "I don't even have an idea of how to go about it. None of us could open it the first time we came across it. And then there's the risk of being killed..."

"Indeed, Mr. Potter." Severus found himself agreeing. "First, we must find a way to open it. Consider this, how the Dark Lord would have done it?"

Harry cocked his head to the side, lifting the lid of the box and revealing the golden locket inside. He frowned. "It belonged to Slytherin..." He pondered out loud. "I'd guess Voldemort would have used Parseltongue to open it..."

Severus nodded and gestured at the locket. "Only one way to find out if it is true."

Draco stared at both Snape and Potter for a few moments, then at the locket lying innocently in the wooden box. He couldn't decide whether he wanted to stay for this or to leave while he could. But he didn't really want to miss out on seeing the Horcrux be destroyed. It had been intriguing to watch last time, even if the whole thing had been rather disturbing. Then he wondered if Pansy wanted to be here as well and tilted his chin upward to look at the ceiling as if he could see through the walls. She was probably still sleeping.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to try and _order_ that locket to open itself.

Severus watched Potter as he opened his mouth when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Quickly, he got out of the chair and reached for the box, slamming the lid shut. "Stop, Potter!"

Harry shut his mouth with an audible click, his tongue nearly getting caught between his teeth in the progress. He looked at Snape, confused. "What did I do wrong?" He frowned.

"This is a Horcrux, Potter. It carries a part of the Dark Lord's soul." Severus looked intently at the box, his hand still holding on to the lid as if he wanted to make sure it wouldn't open on its own. "What if, when opened, that soul part appears out of the locket? Just like the bracelet."  
Harry nodded in understanding. "Alright, I can see that happening. So what do we do now?" He paused. "I'mm not sure I'd be able to destroy this thing all by myself. Last time, there were five of us." He glanced at Malfoy. "Even with Malfoy's help, we were still pretty worn out."

"Quite so, Mr. Potter." Severus granted him that. "This needs to be deliberated. If you were to destroy the locket by yourself you would need a great deal of luck to succeed, considering the effects of last time."

Draco blinked when Potter looked at him. "You don't expect me to help this time too, do you?" He fidgeted nervously.

Harry nodded at Snape, before turning to Malfoy. "Would you rather explain to Ron and Hermione what happened if something goes wrong?" He cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sure Ron would love to have go at you."

His eyes widened in shock and Draco shook his head quickly. "No need to tell Weasley or Granger. I'll help, Potter…"

"As I see it at the moment, Mr. Potter. There are two options. Either you attempt at destroying the Horcrux by yourself or we wait until Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley return." Severus finally removed his hand from the box and walked back to his chair, sitting down. "However, it would be preferable for you to try the first option."

Harry scowled, barely believing what he was hearing. "You really want me dead, don't you?"

"Quite on the contrary, Mr. Potter." Severus snorted softly. "If you were to attempt to destroy the Horcrux by yourself, you would need control over your magic to such an extent that it would in the end provide you with a better chance of standing against the Dark Lord."

"Honestly, do you _really_ believe I have _such_ control?" Harry let out a sarcastic laugh.

"At the moment? No." Severus shook his head. " Which is why you need to train your skills and control."

"Then wouldn't it be highly irresponsible to attempt it by myself?" Harry snapped. "All I could rely on would be - as you insist calling it - sheer dumb _luck_."

"Then perhaps sheer dumb luck just needs a push in the right direction." Severus pondered as he gestured offhandedly at the box containing the locket.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry frowned.

"Think for a second, Mr. Potter." He rolled his eyes. "A certain potion the late Horace Slughorn promised during one of his lessons last year to one of his students?"

"Felix Felicis..." Harry mumbled, still frowning. "That would work, I suppose. But doesn't that take really long to brew? Time we don't exactly have..."

Severus smirked haughtily. "How fortunate that I should have one dose of said potion stored away in a safe location." He leaned one elbow on the armrest and rested his chin in his palm.

Harry thought he should actually grin about that, but he found another thought occupying his mind. "And why, in God's name, would you give it to me?" He coolly asked. "You could just as well choose to use it for yourself. What's the catch, Snape?"

Arching an eyebrow, Severus had to give Potter that. The brat did have a point. "Perhaps. However, I am not the one who has to kill the Dark Lord nor is it my task to destroy the Horcruxes." He sighed dramatically, then snorted. "What the catch is? I want you to actually survive long enough to dispatch the Dark Lord."

Harry studied him for a few moments, eyes narrowing while he tried to figure out if Snape was serious about it or not. "Alright." He said slowly. "Where is it?"

"A safe location, of course." Severus got up from the chair once more and reached inside his robes, searching for one of his inner pockets. Finding it, he pulled the small unbreakable vial out and held it up in front of Potter's face.

"You call _that_ a safe location?" Harry snorted. "What if you got caught and they searched you?"

Severus rolled his eyes, still holding the vial in one hand. "Honestly, Mr. Potter. Have you learnt anything at all during your classes?"

Harry rolled his eyes, too. Draco heaved a sigh and leaned back against the sofa. "Are you two ever going to get on with destroying the bloody thing?" He muttered.

Severus glared at Draco and put the vial down on the table beside the wooden box, then took a few steps back. "Well, Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked at vial for a moment, before picking it up. He could see the potion swirling within the vial, small drops jumping up and dipping back down to join the rest of the potion. He took a deep breath. "Here goes." He muttered, before uncorking the vial and downing it all in one go. He grimaced and swallowed.

He put the vial back on the table and opened the wooden box containing the locket again. He looked at Snape and nodded. Taking out his wand, he inhaled. "Open." He hissed in Parseltongue. Frowning when the locket didn't react, he decided to try it again. "_Open_." He ordered, again in Parseltongue, a bit firmer this time. This time, the locket clicked open, green mist coming out through the ornate S. Harry's eyes narrowed. He was ready.

Severus watched with sharp eyes as the green mist began to swirl around until they formed into a figure. Just as he had expected, the part of the Dark Lord's soul had appeared. The features of a young man, a little older than the spirit of the bracelet, was glaring at them.

"Who are you? What do you think you are doing?" Tom Riddle spat, his face twisted in a grim expression as he hovered above the locket.

Harry didn't reply. He simply glared at the image of a slightly older Riddle, before pointing his wand at the locket. "Face ea res inanem animae. Malum, ede animam." He firmly said, barely taking time to breathe as he cast it over again.

Draco stared at the apparition in horror. It was just as nasty as the one which had been inside the bracelet. He couldn't really bring himself to believe that they were part of the even more foul Dark Lord, but in a way he could. They had the same temper, the same disposition and the same snide tone of voice.

Tom Riddle was glaring at Potter as the Gryffindor kept chanting the words over and over. "What are you trying to do, boy? You don't think you could actually do something to me? The great Lord Voldemort!"

Harry's eyes narrowed, starting to repeat the spell a bit faster, barely taking time to breathe. Slowly, he could see the green mist starting to disappear, but it was nowhere near fully gone yet. Sweat trickled down the collar of his shirt. All that was on his mind was destroying that locket. He would succeed. He _had_ to.

Severus kept a steady eye on Potter, ready to step in should it be needed. He could not allow anything to go wrong, not with everything that was at stake. He noticed that the spirit was beginning to tremble, Riddle's face was twisted in pain. Potter just had to keep it up for a little while longer. With the dose of Felix Felicis, the boy should have enough good luck to succeed.

Draco couldn't take his eyes off the scene in front of him. Even though, he was not a part of the spell casting this time, he still felt as if he was in the very middle of things. He could even feel the magic rolling of Potter's body as it flowed through the room. "Is it working?" He whispered meekly.

"I believe so." Severus answered, still watching Potter and the locket.

After another few minutes, Harry could feel the spell starting to drain his magic. He gritted his teeth. He couldn't give up now. He growled deep in his throat, starting to repeat the spell a bit louder. Tom Riddle was screaming loud obscenities at Potter, but the boy still kept chanting. Severus held his wand tightly in his hand as he watched the green mist, which surrounded the spirit, slowly turn black. It was working, he observed with relief.

Harry just had to keep it up a few seconds longer, but it was getting harder. He was breathing with difficulty and couldn't have been more relieved when at the last syllable of the spell, the black mist finally disappeared. Drained, he collapsed onto the sofa with a groan.

Draco barely managed to jump out of the way as Potter collapsed on the sofa. He stared at the unconscious teen before looking up at Snape. "Was that supposed to happen?"

Kneeling down beside Potter, Severus efficiently checked him for any visible injuries. "It would seem so, Potter did, after all, succeed. Stay with him, while I pick up a vial of the Dreamless Draught."

"What for?" Draco tilted his head in confusion. "And why do I have to stay with him? He's unconscious, it's not like he's going anywhere."

"Because I say so, Draco." Severus sneered. "Potter will need rest to regain his strength as he will need it to destroy the last Horcrux. The faster the better." He got up and walked out of the room, heading toward the fireplace from where he could Floo to his mother's house. Severus knew that there was a vial stored in one of her cupboards somewhere in the house.

Pansy had been awake for a while when she heard the screams coming from downstairs. She jumped out of her bed and walked out of the room, she stopped at the top of the stairs and listened to the conversation between Draco and Snape. When Snape had left, she tiptoed down the stairs and into the drawing room. Draco was sitting in one of the chairs, watching Potter who was out cold. What had happened down here?

"Draco? Why is Potter unconscious? And where is everyone?" She asked.

Draco shrugged. "He destroyed the Horcrux in the locket. Granger and Weasley are hunting down the last Horcrux. Snape went out to pick up a potion."

"The three of you destroyed the Horcrux? But then why is Potter the only one who is unconscious?"

"Because, he was the one to destroy it. Snape and I didn't do anything." Draco sighed and crossed his arms.

"Alone?" She whispered. "But…"

"Yes, alone. He did it. End of story." Draco said crisply and looked at Potter who was still sprawled out on the sofa.

Pansy frowned and sat down in a chair opposite of Draco's, watching both boys with wary and tired eyes. Potter had destroyed the Horcrux? By himself? She thought about the bracelet and how they had struggled to annihilate it. Had the spirit inside the locket come out as well? She shuddered at the thought of another Tom and was thankful for the fact that she hadn't been downstairs when Potter had gotten rid of the Horcrux.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside of the room and she turned her head around to see Snape enter through the doorway, carrying a vial in his hand.

"Has he woken up at any point?" Severus asked as he placed the vial on the coffee table by the sofa.

Draco shook his head. "No."

Severus nodded. "Then let the brat rest. We will simply have to wait for Granger and Weasley to return then. Perhaps some tea would be preferable." Without asking Parkinson or Malfoy, he went into the kitchen to prepare a fresh pot of tea.

* * *

In the mean while, Hermione and Ron were walking down Vauxhall Road. Hermione kept an eye on the numbers, looking for the shop where Riddle had purchased the diary. Coming to a halt, she nudged Ron in the side and pointed at number 61. "That's the place."

Ron looked at the small shop and with a nod he reached out to open the door. He stepped inside and held the door open for Hermione while she entered. The shop wasn't very large, but was filled with wall-to-wall bookshelves, there were a few tables standing around, littered with stacks of papers, notebooks and writing utensils. "Hello?" He called out as he glanced at Hermione.

Hermione walked up to the counter, ringing the small bell, looking around. She nearly jumped when a tiny old man popped his head up from behind the counter.

"Yes?" He asked with a small smile. "Can I help you?"

"I was hoping you could." Hermione returned the smile. "We are looking for an orphanage in the neighbourhood."

"An orphanage?" The old man asked. "Hmmm... I can't really think of one around here."

"Well, it should have been around here a long time ago." Ron said. "Sometime around the nineteen-thirties?" He looked around the shop again.

"Oh, my dear boy, you mean the Stockwell Orphanage?" The old man nodded. "That's the only orphanage I have ever known around here."

"Is it still around?" Ron grinned, then sobered. "No, of course not." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Could you tell us where it was?"

"I'm afraid you're right, young man." The shop owner sadly shook his head. "It was demolished to the last brick. They're all council flats now." He looked out the window. "Well, at the end of the street, you go to the right and then straight ahead. There you will find the council flats." The man paused. "May I be so curious to ask about your interest in the Stockwell Orphanage?"

At Ron's panicked look, Hermione jumped in. "My grandmother was brought up there." She gave a sad smile. "We would have liked to see it. She could tell such magnificent stories about her time there..."

The man smiled. "Young people like yourself could learn so much from the older generations. I wish more teenagers would pay such attention to their grandparents' stories."

Hermione smiled politely, then tugged at Ron's sleeve. "Thank you for the information." She quickly said before dragging Ron out of the shop. God knew that man could go on for hours.

Once they were outside, Ron breathed out in relief and flashed a smile at Hermione. "Thank Merlin for your fast thinking." He looked around and took Hermione's hand. Ron began to walk down the street, following the old man's directions.

Hermione nodded and simply followed, looking around the street. As they rounded the corner, Hermione could see the council flats at the end of the street. She pointed at them. "You think we'll be able to find something there, Ron?" She frowned. "I mean... Wouldn't it be long gone by now?" They walked towards them, while Hermione was suddenly deep in thought again. About halfway down the street, she came to an abrupt halt.

"I'm not sure." Ron almost walked past her when Hermione suddenly stopped. He turned around to look at her with curious eyes. "What are you thinking, Hermione?" He arched an eyebrow as he cocked his head to one side.

Hermione pointed at something. "There." She firmly said. "We have to go in there. It's a pawnshop, Ron. Everything that could have been valuable would have been brought there, I think."

Ron gazed at the small pawn shop close to them and nodded. He could see the reasoning in that and began to walk toward the shop. "Lets hope so." He looked in through the windows, but couldn't see anything other than a few silhouettes. Shrugging, he entered the shop, Hermione close behind him.

It was rather dark inside and Hermione had to blink several times before her eyes could get used to the dim light. She looked around. The shop was stacked with all kinds of boxes, but no actual objects were shown. She walked up to the counter and crouched down. There was a glass window on the front of the counter and she peered through the dirty glass.

"Can I help you?" A deep voice asked.

Hermione looked up, noticing a big man leaning onto the counter looking down at her. She gave a sheepish smile. "I'm looking a specific object." She spoke. "A cup."

"We have loads of cups here." The man curtly said. "You'll have to be a little more _specific_."

Ron walked over to Hermione's side. "It's a small cup. Umm... Made out of gold." He tapped his chin in thought, sneaking glances around the small space that made up the shop. "It should have an engraved badger on it?" Ron looked at Hermione for confirmation.

Hermione nodded. "That's it, exactly. Small, golden cup with fine, wrought handles and an engraved badger on it."

The man behind the counter raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, well..." His upper lip curled into a sneer. "I didn't think I'd ever have to dig up the dusty old thing again. Hang on for a few..." He left his place behind the counter and disappeared through the backdoor. A few minutes later, he came back with a small cardboard box, placing it on the counter, before opening it. Hermione peered inside.

"Is this what you are looking for?" He asked, looking between the two teens.

Ron's eyes widened as the shopkeeper showed them the contents of the box. It certainly looked like the cup that had been described to them. Glancing at Hermione, he nodded. "Yeah, that's the one." He reached for the cup to pick it up and study it more closely.

Hermione put a hand against his chest. "Don't touch it." She muttered so that only he could hear. "It's not safe." She looked back at the shop owner.

"There's something strange about that cup." The man leaned his elbows on the counter. "When I took over the shop ten years ago, it was already here, gathering dust in the same old box. It's been sold several times, but how strange it may be, it was always brought back a few weeks later. There seems to be a curse on it or something." He shrugged. "Some people are quite superstitious. I haven't been able to sell it ever since."

"What if we wanted to purchase it?" Hermione coolly asked.

"Well, I'd wish you good luck with it." The man laughed quietly. "You don't look like you're easily scared."

"How much for the cup?" She firmly said.

"Quite sure of yourself, aren't you? You're something, girl, I'll give you that." He turned serious. "I fear I'll never get it sold without it's been brought back. I'm not even sure if that cup is made out of _real_ gold. I doubt it..." He paused. "I'll let you have it for a reasonable price."

"Name it." Hermione replied.

"Seventy-five pounds."

Hermione let out a snort. "Twenty." Of course, she knew that the cup was worth a lot more than that, but that didn't mean she couldn't try to buy it as cheap as possible.

"Sixty-five."

"Twenty-two."

"Listen to me, dearest, I will make no profit out of this were I to sell it this cheap." The man narrowed his eyes.

"You'll lose even more money when people buy it and then come back and demand their money back." Hermione snarled.

"Alright then. Forty pounds, that's as low as I'll go."

"Make it thirty and you've got a deal. And you don't have to worry about us bringing it back." She coldly spoke.

The man shook his head. "No deal."

Hermione shrugged and tugged Ron's sleeve, giving him a pointed look. "Come on, Ronald. We're leaving."

She turned around and started to walk towards the exit. Ron had followed the exchange between Hermione and the shopkeeper with his attention bouncing back and forth each time either of them said a new amount. He couldn't help but feel proud that Hermione didn't let the other man win so easily. Grinning to himself, he was suddenly jumbled out of his thoughts when Hermione tugged at his shirt. His head whipped around and he stared at her in surprise. She was just going to leave like that? But they had found the bloody cup and now they were leaving because the shopkeeper wouldn't give it to them for a good price.

"But… the cup?" He began weakly.

"Watch me." Hermione muttered. "Three... Two... One."

"Hey, wait up!" The shop owner called out for them.

Hermione turned around and crossed her arms in front of his chest. "Yes?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Make it thirty-five and you've got yourself a deal." The man growled.

"I said thirty. I'm not paying one penny more." She sniffed.

The man rolled his eyes and closed the box, shoving it a little further onto the counter. Hermione inwardly smirked, before pulling the money from her wallet and putting it onto the counter. She picked up the box and exited the shop with a triumphant expression on her face.

Ron followed her out of the door, an amazed expression on his face. "That… was brilliant, Hermione." He grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a brief hug before letting go. He looked at the box in her hands and smiled. "We got it."

"That we do." Hermione grinned, looking down at the box in her hands. "Alright. Now let's get this to Harry."

* * *

Severus was watching the prone body of Harry Potter who was still sprawled on the sofa in the drawing room. The boy had yet to wake up. Lifting the cup of tea to his lips, he drank the hot liquid in one go and put his cup down on the table. Then he looked at Draco, who was sitting as far away from Potter as possible, and Pansy, who was watching Potter with a confused expression.

"Draco, Miss Parkinson." Severus said, gaining their attention. "Take Potter upstairs to his room and take the vial on the coffee table with you. If he wakes up, give the contents of the vial to him."

Draco grumbled and crossed his arms. "Why do we have to take him upstairs? Can't he just stay there?"

Glaring reproachfully at Draco, Severus growled in annoyance. "Just do it."

With a huff, Draco got up from his chair and walked over to Potter, putting his arms beneath the other boy's and hauling him upright. Draco looked at Pansy. "Get the vial, would you?" He began to drag Potter off the sofa and out of the room. "Damn, he's heavy for someone who looks like he's going to tip over from a strong wind."

Severus rolled his eyes and leaned back against the chair he was sitting in as Draco finally managed to get Potter out of the room in one piece without banging against too many things on the way. Of course, he knew he could have helped by levitating the still unconscious Potter up the stairs since Draco wasn't allowed to have his wand on him in the house. But Severus didn't feel like helping the boy, it would do him good to have to do a small amount of manual labour once in a while.

When Pansy left the room as well, after picking up the vial of Dreamless Draught, Severus sighed and rubbed at his temples. He looked forward to the day where he didn't have to deal with insufferable children anymore, especially Potter and his friends. But first, they needed to end this war and to do that the Horcrux within Potter had to be destroyed.

It posed a significant problem. If they were to destroy the Horcrux, they would most like kill Potter in the process. Then Potter would not be available to finish off the Dark Lord. It was clear that the Horcruxes had to be disposed off before battling against the Dark Lord, all the Horcruxes. As long as just one of them was still intact, the Dark Lord would have a chance of surviving any assault from Potter.

The Horcrux the boy carried around inside himself had to be destroyed without harming Potter himself. But how? They needed to destroy it. It wasn't as if they could simply pluck the Horcrux out of the brat and then dispatch of it.

Severus got up from his chair and began to pace. Perhaps there was a way. It was dangerous of course, there was no doubt about it. And would Potter even agree to going through with it? He would need to convince Potter to make an attempt and it would not be easy. But then, nothing ever was easy with that brat.

Potter would have to train harder than he had ever done before for this to work and he would have to listen to Severus. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He needed to discuss this with Potter, get the boy to understand and agree with him. It seemed that he was right about Potter needing to start up on his Occlumency lessons again. It was essential to the plan which had begun to form in his mind. It could work, with the right preparations it _would_ work. With a pleased smirk, Severus sat back down in the chair and poured himself another cup of tea.


	18. 18 De Exemplo Docto

Title : Ars Virgarum - _De Exemplo Docto _  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-18-78121548

* * *

_18 - De Exemplo Docto _

Harry woke up with a start, jerking up into a sitting position on the bed. He immediately regretted it as a tremendous headache washed over him. He groaned and grabbed his head, grimacing. He slowly looked up, glancing around the room, frowning when he couldn't make out anything but the covers underneath him. He felt his face.

"My glasses..." He muttered. "Ruddy things. Where are they?" He automatically reached for the bedside table, confused when he couldn't find them there either. He started feeling the covers. Maybe they had slipped off in his sleep...

Pansy was dozing slightly in the chair next the bed where Potter had been out cold. However, she nearly jumped out of the chair when Potter sat up in his bed with a start. Watching him with wary eyes, Pansy heard him mumble something about his glasses. Quickly, she picked them up from their spot in her lap and held them in front of his face. "Here, Potter." She said softly.

Blinking again, Harry reached for them, finding Pansy's hand first. He resisted the initial urge to pull away and apologise, before finally being able to pry them from her fingers. "Thanks." He breathed as he slipped them on. "Much better." He looked around the room again, recognising it as his own. He scratched the back of his head, ignoring the pounding feeling in his head. "How the bloody hell did I get up here?"

"No problem." She muttered with a small smile. "Draco brought you up here when Professor Snape told him to." Pansy shrugged lightly and gestured at the vial on the bedside table. "There's some Dreamless Draught for you too, when you need it."

"Later." He nodded, getting to his feet. "You didn't have to sit here the entire time, Parkinson. I'm sure I wouldn't have run away." He pulled the door open and descended the stairs, making his way into the drawing room.

"It wasn't a problem. It gave me something to do." Pansy sighed and got up from the chair, following Potter downstairs and into the drawing room.

Severus flipped a page in the book he had found in one of the nearby bookshelves. At the sound of someone trudging down the stairs, he looked at the doorway out of the corner of his eyes. It seemed that Potter had finally woken up. Marking the page he had just read, he closed the book and placed it on the table beside the chair he was occupying. As Potter entered the room Severus gave him a critical once over and sneered slightly. The boy was still pale, even more so now than he had been before. "Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley have been by during your _nap_, Mr. Potter. They left the last Horcrux in the sealed box on the table." He pointed one long finger at the wooden box in question.

Harry looked at the box on the table. "So they found the cup." He nodded. "They left?"

"Yeah." Draco shrugged, plucking at the material of the armrest. "Neither of us knew when you would decide to wake up."

Pansy walked over to the sofa and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. She stared balefully at the wooden box. 'Merlin, another one!' She thought and scooted a bit further away from it.

Severus looked at Potter. "Indeed." He rolled his eyes. "They deposited the Horcrux and left for their homes. Now, however, would not be the time to destroy it. We have other matters to attend to."

"I thought we wanted to dispose of these things as soon as possible?" Harry asked, then muttered. "Not that I think I could handle destroying another one by myself right now."

"Quite so, Mr. Potter. It would simply not do to have you die on us yet." Severus snorted, narrowing his eyes at Potter.

Harry scowled. "So what are you still here for?"

"Training." He answered simply. "And a possible solution to your personal Horcrux problem."

"Training?" Harry spluttered. "Like _now_?"

"No, when it's already too late, Potter." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy." Harry snarled. "I didn't ask for your opinion."

"You didn't walk up those stairs all by yourself." Draco snorted.

"Nor did I recall asking to be brought to my room." Harry eyes narrowed. His fingers started to itch, desperately wanting to strangle Malfoy. Who did he think he was? So what if Malfoy had dragged him up the stairs? He was _still_ unwanted company in Harry's house and Harry would not have been himself if he let Malfoy forget that.

"That will be quite enough." Severus snarled and rose from his seat. "You will need training, Mr. Potter. However, I can concede to not commence with said training just yet. It will take some preparation and you will need to be in far better health than the pitiful state you are in now. Though arrangements should be made."

"My health is just fine, thank you." Harry snapped.

"Yes, I can see that, Mr. Potter. With you pale skin and dark rings beneath your eyes, you are the epitome of a healthy human." Severus crossed his arms. "There is a vial of Dreamless Draught for you. Remember to take it. I will not have you fall asleep or pass out during lessons."

Mimicking Snape's action, Harry grunted, finally sitting himself down on the sofa.

Pansy watched Snape and Potter exchange 'blows' so to speak and she couldn't help but snicker slightly. Snarking at each other, the two were actually amusing to listen to. She put a hand to her mouth to hide her smile.

Severus eyed Potter and sat back down in the chair. "Perhaps, in a couple of days you will be up to par and ready to train for the inevitable, Mr. Potter."

"Fine." Harry replied. He was silent for several moments, before speaking again. "What's this talk about a solution for my own problem?"

"A way to, perhaps, successfully destroy the Horcrux within you. Which is another reason you will need training, otherwise you would not survive long enough to kill the Dark Lord." Severus said casually with a small smirk.

"Quit beating around the bush." Harry bit out. He hated it when Snape did this. Why couldn't that git just come out and say it out right?

Rolling his eyes, Severus snorted at the expression on Potter's face. "In order to destroy the Horcrux without killing yourself in the process, the Horcrux must be drawn out of your body first."

"I figured out _something_ like that already." Harry snapped. "Got any ideas _how_ maybe?"

"Dementors." Severus said calmly, looking at Potter.

Pansy stared at Snape in shock. He couldn't be serious, it was insanity and surely it would be suicide to attempt it.

"You have to be joking..." Draco quietly said.

"Are you out of your bloody _mind_?!" Harry yelled. "How the hell is that supposed to work? By the time they _suck_ out Voldemort's soul part, they already had half of mine! This is bloody insane!"

"Which is why you will need to train." Severus ignored Potter's outburst about his state of mind and steepled his fingertips against each other. "Occlumency should allow you to keep your own soul intact, if you manage to establish a shield around your mind strong enough to force the Dementors back."

Harry frantically shook his mind. "I can't... You know as well as I do that it will take months to get it right, even I can even manage at all." He softly said. He rubbed his eyes as he felt the headache flare up again.

"You can and you will, Mr. Potter." Severus said coolly, glaring at Potter. "You want to survive, yes? Then you will learn and you will remember what you are taught."

Sighing, he nodded numbly, continuing to rub his eyes. He knew it was no use going against Snape now. The man was right, how much Harry loathed to admit it, he _had_ to learn how to do it in order to stay alive. It was only a matter of survival. He couldn't help but wonder what would kill him first, Snape's lessons or the Dementors. Suddenly, he felt very tired.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. In two days' time, we will begin your training." Severus said and got up from the chair. "By the time I return, you will be fully rested and prepared. I will not have you lose concentration during your lessons." He glanced at Draco and Pansy and nodded at them before leaving the drawing room and heading toward the fireplace.

Snape's last words barely registered in his mind. Harry was leaning against the sofa, mulling Snape's solution over and over in his mind. It was insane. Absolutely insane. He heaved a sigh, running a hand through his hair. This couldn't be happening. He got up and started his way up the stairs.

Pansy stared at Potter as he walked out of the room. Then she turned to look at Draco with wary eyes. "This is crazy." She sighed. "A Dementor? It would surely kill him… What if there were more than just one Dementor?"

Draco nodded and looked back at her. "I don't think there will be _just_ one Dementor..." He quietly replied, shaking his head.

* * *

Severus looked at Potter with narrowed eyes and his mouth stretched out in a thin line. He had returned two days later as promised, but still the boy looked the slightest bit haggard. However, he did not look like he was half-dead either. Severus was not intending to let Potter slack off during his lessons because of fatigue. The Death Eaters and the Dark Lord certainly would not allow Potter a short recess to regain his breath.

He would make sure Potter was ready for what was bound to happen sooner or later, even if he more or less killed the stubborn brat in the process.

Taking out his wand from within his sleeve, Severus pointed it at Potter and arched an eyebrow. "Well, Mr. Potter?"

Harry simply nodded, his jaw clenching. He knew better than to meet Snape's eyes, so instead he stared at the floor. He brandished his wand, physically and mentally bracing himself for what was about to happen. Rolling his eyes, Severus kept his wand trained on Potter.

"Clear your mind of all emotion and thought, Mr. Potter." When Potter kept staring at the floor, Severus snorted. "Look at me, Potter! Do you not want to learn? Do you want to be easy prey for the Dementors or the Dark Lord?"

Harry closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on clearing his mind. Snape's biting comments did not make it much easier. He took a deep breath, trying to block out his words and try to push away as many thoughts as possible. Severus tapped his chin with a single finger, eyeing Potter who was stubbornly refusing to meet his eyes. It was a step on the way, but Potter couldn't run around on a battlefield with his eyes closed at all times.

"Potter!" He snapped.

"How do you expect me to concentrate when you're yelling at me?!" Harry jerked his head up, glaring at him. Then he realised this what Snape had been waiting for. '_Idiot_.' He inwardly scolded at himself.

Smirking, Severus tightened his grip on his wand and spoke in a low tone of voice. "Legilimens."

Harry grimaced when he felt Snape easily pass the barriers of his mind. He scrunched his eyes shut, trying to block him out. Of course, Harry knew Snape was much more skilled at Legilimency than he was at Occlumency, but he _had_ to try, before Snape came across memories Harry didn't want him to see. '_I__'__m doing it again._' He thought to himself with a scowl. '_I__'__m panicking because I can__'__t keep him out and it__'__s only in his advantage._'

He fisted a hand in his hair, trying to push all of his emotions and thoughts to the furthest corner of his mind. Suddenly, a recent memory flashed before his eyes. _Harry shot up in the bed, disorientated. He had no idea of where he was, unable to see since he didn__'__t have his spectacles on him. While searching for them, Pansy suddenly handed them over to him._

When Severus came across the first memory, one which was still fresh in Potter's mind, he smirked and pushed lightly at it, testing Potter's resolve and strength. While the fact that Pansy had helped him was of no interest, seeing that Potter had managed to bring this particular memory to the forefront was. It was neither especially emotional nor important. Perhaps the brat could learn… in due time. However, that was yet to be seen. He withdrew from Potter's mind slightly, then he delved further into the string of memories with more force.

Harry barely managed to take a breath when Snape dug further through his mind. For about two seconds, nothing came to his mind, but then there was another flash. _Pansy and Draco were talking quietly amongst each other, standing in the middle of a deserted street. With one hand still pressed against his scar, Harry stretched out his hand towards Pansy._

'_No.__'_ Harry mentally growled. '_You will not get to those._' He managed to break off the images flashing through his mind with some effort, but couldn't prevent another one to fly by. _Green light flashed through the air, while his mother let out a piercing scream before she fell to the floor with a dull thud. A dark-cloaked figure advanced on a small crib, the green light of the Killing Curse beginning to emit from the tip of his wand again._

With a tremendous effort, he barely managed to push that memory away, too. He felt another one coming up and tried to stop it, but he was low on energy and couldn't prevent Snape from seeing it. _Pansy was shivering, while Harry ordered Malfoy to give her his robe, before his gaze wandered to Ron and Hermione. At the sight of Hermione crouching down on the floor to pick up what seemed like a photo frame, Harry snarled. __"__Hermione, leave it!__"_

"No!" Harry suddenly yelled, flicking his wand with an brusque movement. "Impedimenta!"

Severus was forced back a few feet by Potter's spell and he withdrew completely from the boy's mind.

Snapping his eyes open again, Harry glared at Snape, then blinked as he looked down at his wand. It seemed he had used a spell in a defensive reflex. _'__Oops.__'_He smugly thought to himself.

Severus straightened up and lowered his wand a fraction. Arching an eyebrow, he looked at Potter who was breathing heavily. "Better, but not good enough, Mr. Potter." Severus crossed his arms and smirked. "What was in the photo?"

Harry looked up and frowned. "I don't know. I didn't exactly look at it. I just told Hermione to leave it alone."

Severus rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms, pointing his wand at Potter once more. "Very well. _Again_! Legilimens!"

Pansy stared with wide eyes at Snape and Potter as she peered around the edge of the doorsill. They were both fiercely competitive, she knew that. But a session like this? It seemed like Snape was actively trying to kill Potter. The Gryffindor was panting and watching Snape with narrowed eyes as he gripped his wand tight enough that she could almost hear the wood creak under the pressure. She glanced at Draco who was watching them avidly with a nervous twitch in his left eye. Slowly, she turned her attention back to the two people inside the drawing room.

Harry hissed when Snape broke into his mind again, even though it did go slower this time. Again, he scrunched his eyes shut, blocking out as much memories as he could. Unfortunately, he could not hide all of them this time around either. _Worried, Harry watched Dumbledore drink another cup of the water of the glass basin. The old man protested and kept turning his head away, but Harry managed to make him drink anyway, only because Dumbledore had told him in the beginning to continue at any time. Harry kept glancing around the cave and at the lake where Inferi were floating underneath the water surface. He swallowed nervously. They had crossed once, but they would have to go back at one point..._

Of all the memories he could have encountered in Potter's mind, this was not one he wanted to watch in particular. It was _that_ night, he knew. Albus Dumbledore was already looking more haggard than Severus remembered ever having seen him, and it would only worsen in the following hours. Seeing Albus so worn and tired, made him pause and withdraw from Potter's mind until he was on the edge of the boy's memories.

Feeling Snape withdraw for a moment, Harry took the opportunity to wipe at his face and to breathe properly. The Occlumency lessons he had received in fifth year were _nothing_ compared to what Snape made him go through now. And even how much Harry loathed it, he knew he _had_ to learn how to close his mind. He didn't have a death wish just yet. '_A break would be nice._' He silently groaned to himself.

Severus sighed and drew out of Potter's mind, staring steely at the boy. "Hn." He uttered and turned around. "Fifteen minutes, Mr. Potter. Get something to eat and drink and clear your mind before we begin again." Sneering, he sat down in the nearest armchair and purposely ignored Potter after that.

Harry gave him a menacing glare. "I'm _fine_. I'm not hungry or thirsty. Just a chance to _breathe_ would have been enough." He bit out. Oh, how he loathed that man. If he could only do something to get back at him. Snape was, of course, much more skilled than he was, but there had to be some way somehow... Suddenly, he smirked to himself. Maybe _that_ would count as payback, at least for now.

Waving offhandedly at Potter, Severus rolled his eyes. "If you insist. However, if you drop from exhaustion or dehydration do not look to me for any sympathy."

"I want your sympathy just as much as you want mine." Harry coldly sneered.

Severus snorted and cocked an eyebrow. "Hn. You seem to have a lot of energy for someone claiming to need a break. Shall we continue then or do you still want a break?" He pressed his fingertips together in front of his chest and stared at Potter.

"Get up, Snape." Harry icily replied, narrowing his eyes.

Slowly, Severus lowered his hands, placing them on the armrests, and pushed himself out of the chair. He straightened his back and glared at Potter. "Insolent whelp." He sneered and pointed his wand at the boy. "Prepare yourself then. Legilimens!"

Harry made an attempt to block Snape from his mind as not to make the man suspicious, but let him pass his mental barriers somewhat easier than before. He closed his eyes, concentrating on digging up that one memory.

_Harry was standing near the door of Dumbledore__'__s office, covered with his invisibility cloak. Dumbledore might have Petrified him, but he could still watch the scene that was being played out. Draco__'__s wand was trembling as he pointed it at Dumbledore__'__s weak body, while the Headmaster was talking to him in a soft voice. It was then that Harry could swear he saw something flickering in Malfoy__'__s eyes. But with the Death Eaters encouraging him from the door, he still held onto his wand. Then Snape burst into the office, staring down at the Headmaster._

_"__Severus... Please.__"__ He pleaded._

_Snape aimed his wand at him. __"__Avada Kedavra!__"_

Staggering back, Severus withdrew from Potter's mind in a flash. Harry suppressed a sharp gasp when Snape roughly pulled out of his mind. He glared at the brat, his mouth set in a tense line. He could feel his hand tremble as his own memory of that event replayed in his mind. "Enough for today!" He snarled and stalked out of the drawing room and into the kitchen. He needed something calm him down and spotted a pot of tea on the kitchen counter. Reheating the liquid, he poured himself a cup.

While watching him leave the room from a corner of his eye, he sat himself down on the sofa. He was tired, he had to admit, but couldn't help the small smirk on his lips as he rubbed his eyes. "You don't have to stay by the door, you know..." He withdrew his hand and glanced at Parkinson and Malfoy peeking from around the corner.

Draco had hastily jumped out of the way as Snape had stalked past them and he stared after the Professor. Then his head whirled around when Potter addressed both Pansy and himself. Glancing at Pansy, he slowly crossed the threshold and walked over to one of the chairs, as far away from Potter as possible, with Pansy following him shortly after.

Harry watched them for a moment, before slipping his wand into his pocket. He heaved a sigh and made himself comfortable on the sofa.

Pansy sat down on the sofa at the opposite end of where Potter was sitting and looked at him. "That was… pretty intense, Potter. What happened?"

"He saw something he didn't exactly like." Harry lightly replied, trying not to sound too smug.

"What exactly?" Draco asked even though he knew better than to press for an answer, but he was curious as to what could get such a reaction from Snape.

"My memory of the night he murdered Dumbledore." Harry glanced at him. The smirk was gone, and so was the smug tone in his voice. It was not exactly his favourite memory, but it had served its purpose for tonight.

Draco could hear Pansy gasp as he stared at floor. "Oh…" He muttered, it wasn't a memory he would have liked to review either.

"Well, you asked." Harry quietly said, shrugging lightly.

Pansy frowned and glanced at the doorway, her eyes widened as she saw Snape standing there with a tray in his hands, carrying a teapot, cups and a few sandwiches. She watched as he entered the room and placed the tray on the coffee table, never once did he look at Potter. "Eat, regain your strength for tomorrow, Potter." He sneered.

Harry shrugged again, not bothering to reply. He simply reached for the plate and picked up a sandwich. Content with a distraction from the tense situation, Pansy reached for the teapot and filled the three cups on the tray. She handed both Draco and Potter a cup before picking up her own and sipped slowly, while watching the others cautiously. Draco was quick to grab a sandwich and began to alternately eat it and drink from his cup.

"Thanks." Harry nodded, starting to stir some sugar into his own cup, before sipping. He grimaced. Still a bit too hot. He decided to put it back on the table for another few minutes.

Pansy smiled slightly at Potter and nodded. "No problem." She picked a sandwich as well and nibbled at it lightly.

Severus walked away from the table and sat down in the chair farthest away from the three teenagers. He crossed one leg over the other and copied the move with his arms. Spotting the book he had left on the small table beside him the last time he had been at Grimmauld Place, he plucked it from the surface and flipped it open. Severus read a few pages here and there as he waited for the brats to finish their meal.

Harry finished his sandwich before picking up his cup of tea again. He stirred the liquid around, before taking a small sip. It had cooled off a little, just enough to be able to drink it without burning his tongue. He watched Snape from the corner of his eye.

Severus could feel Potter's eyes staring at him and he raised his head, looking straight at the boy. "Perhaps, now that your stomach is full, Mr. Potter, we should discuss further how to go about your lessons."

"I'm listening." Harry easily replied as he wrapped his hands around the tea cup.

Linking his fingertips to each other, Severus breathed in. "Perhaps it would be wise to concentrate on the Dark Lord's memories. It will without doubt give you an advantage if you know how to draw those particular memories to the front. They are after all a fraction of the soul part you are carrying within you." He paused for a moment. "If the Horcrux is at the forefront, and you are able to hide away your own soul, then allowing the Dementors close to you without sacrificing your life could work far better."

Harry thought about it for a moment, inwardly shuddering at the thought of a Dementor getting near. Finally, he nodded. "Like drawing up the flashback I had in Godric's Hollow?"

Severus inclined his head in agreement and said coolly. "Yes, that would be precisely the ones you would need."

Harry scratched the back of his head. So memories that could have come from Voldemort, or possibly other thoughts. The first thing that sprang to his mind was the false images about Sirius Voldemort had fed him. His eyes darkened a little at the thought.

Leaning back against the chair, Severus observed Potter with narrowed eyes. "When you are surrounded by the Dementors you must remember to keep your mind open only to the Dark Lord's memories, clear your mind of all thoughts which might be your own. This is what we will focus on in your lessons."

"Easier said than done." Harry muttered with a scowl.

"Naturally, Mr. Potter. If it was easy, there would be no point in training." Severus snorted.

"Yeah, yeah." Harry rolled his eyes. "So tomorrow it is then."

"Indeed." He said curtly and rose from his seat. "Tomorrow, we will begin training in earnest."


	19. 19 De Inferri Bello

Title : Ars Virgarum -_De Inferri Bello _  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-19-78121835

* * *

_19 - De Inferri Bello _

Severus studied the sealed wooden box containing the cup of Hufflepuff, the last inanimate Horcrux, from his place in the comfortable armchair. The box was still on the coffee table where it had been left a few weeks earlier. Even though the Horcrux had been in their possession for quite some time, it had yet to be destroyed. However, the time would come soon enough. While Potter had succeeded in destroying the locket by himself, it had nearly drained him of all strength. He had simply not been focused enough nor had he had enough control over his own powers and abilities. However, it seemed that Potter had finally grown up and taken on the responsibility which had been placed on his shoulders.

After the small disaster of the first Occlumency lesson, Potter had worked focused and intensively, straining to learn the basics of the art and put them to use. It had taken a lot of hard work, but the boy was finally able to let the Dark Lord's memories reach the surface of his own mind while concealing his own thoughts and memories. The last few sessions, all Severus had been able to see in Potter's mind were the parts of the Horcrux. It did seem that Potter was finally ready to attempt at destroying the soul part within himself which belonged to the Dark Lord.

Crossing one leg over the other, Severus observed Potter who was sitting on the sofa across the room. The colour had returned somewhat to the boy's face, which would mean that he was ready to commence with their plans of destroying the cup. Severus got up from his chair and walked over to the coffee table. He placed his hand on the lid of the wooden box and let it rest there for a moment before flipping it open to reveal the golden cup inside. "Are you ready to get rid of this, Mr. Potter?" Severus asked calmly as he gestured at the cup.

Harry heaved a sigh, eyes trained on the golden cup. "I am." He glanced at Ron and Hermione who were already standing around the coffee table, their wands out. Slowly, Harry got up and pulled out his own wand, pointing at the cup. Hermione and Ron mimicked his action.

"Face ea res inanem animae. Malum, ede animam." Hermione began in a firm voice, both Ron and Harry joining in.

Severus pulled out his own wand and pointed it at the cup, intoning the same words as the teenagers. It would take some of strain off the brat if they joined their strength to destroy the cup. And he would need it, they could not afford another couple of days, waiting for Potter to wake up again. He glanced over at Draco who was stubbornly remaining in his seat, a sullen expression on his face.

Beside him, Pansy was watching them with a wary look.

"I am not doing this again." Draco grumbled, crossing his arms.

Severus merely arched an eyebrow and returned his gaze to the golden cup. Stubborn child.

However Harry was saying the spell over and over again as firm as last time, he was dreading it. This game had gone on for far too long and honestly, he was looking forward to ending this whole ordeal. '_Even if it will kill me._' He grimly thought to himself.

They kept repeating the spell and green mist rose from the trembling cup, just like it had done with the locket last time. Harry's eyes narrowed while he waited for the image of Riddle to pop up. They didn't have to wait long. The image of Riddle in his late teens formed in the misty snippets.

Pansy gasped, even though she had observed this two times before it still unnerved her to see Tom, albeit a bit older than the last two. She stared transfixed as the group surrounding the Horcrux kept chanting. Suddenly, she rose from her seat and her feet carried her over to stand beside Potter. She took her wand out and pointed it at the cup. Pansy began to chant the words along with the others. She knew every word by heart now, having listened attentively to them the previous times.

Draco stared at her. "Pansy…?" He hissed. "What do you think you're doing?" But Pansy didn't listen. She ignored Draco and stepped closer to the others, chanting the spell a little louder.

Harry glanced at her when she joined them, nodding at her, before turning back to Riddle's ghostly image. Riddle was spouting insults, but everyone in the room seemed to ignore him, which aggravated him even more. They simply continued to cast the spell.

Severus rolled his eyes at some of the obscenities Riddle was spewing at them, smirking as he could see that the edges of the green mist began to turn black. It would not be much longer and then the cup would no longer be a problem. Chanting the words continuously, his smirk widened.

Ron couldn't feel more relieved when the green mist was slowly starting to turn black. He hated doing this. That image of Tom Riddle gave him the creeps. Suddenly, the mist was pitch-black for just a moment before it simply evaporated. Ron let out a groan and heavily sat down on the sofa. "Glad that's over and done with."

Harry rubbed at his eyes, nodding in agreement before sitting down himself. Hermione followed his example.

Pansy breathed out a sigh of relief, it had been more difficult keeping her focus on the words than she had thought. She could understand why Draco had refused to help, she felt drained and staggered over to the sofa to sit down. Running a hand through her hair, she closed her eyes, breathing in deeply.

Severus wafted away the last remaining strings of mist that lingered in the air and moved over to his usual chair. Sitting down, he crossed his arms and studied the teenagers. They seemed tired, but at least he did not have to deal with one of them passing out.

Hermione got up again. "Anyone want tea?" She mumbled and went into the kitchen before waiting for an answer. A few minutes later, she came back with tea and biscuits.

* * *

Voldemort sat in his high-backed chair near the window when he felt that another of his precious Horcruxes had been destroyed. He had kept count of them and he was pretty certain there was only one left to destroy, except the last soul part that still resided in his own body. However this was not good news, he couldn't help but smirk.

If Potter had to destroy the Horcrux stored in his own body, he would have to sacrifice himself. With the right strategy, Voldemort could make sure that he remained standing while Potter would be lying dead at his feet. It was time. Getting up, he pressed the fingers to the mark on his arm, calling his faithful Death Eaters to him.

In a matter of minutes, the room was filled with dark-cloaked figures, bowing and muttering 'My Lord' in greeting. Draco was among them, keeping his head low but still sneaking casual glances at Snape who was kneeled beside him. He was trembling slightly, afraid of what was about to happen or to be announced.

He looked over the sea of black robes, his eyes landing on Caitlynn Carrow. "Carrow, rise." He commanded.

Caitlynn did as she was told, standing up. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Has there been any news on the Parkinson girl?"

"No, my Lord. I have just been to the Hogwarts hospital wing yesterday and according to the nurse, there have been no changes in her current condition."

"Very well then." The Dark Lord nodded. "You will return to Hogwarts at once and dispose of her. Since she will not be able to join us in battle, she is no longer of use to us. Kill her. Go."

"Of course, my Lord." Carrow bowed curtly and left the room.

The room was awfully quiet for several moments and Draco could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, while a shiver ran down his spine.

"Draco. Stand up." Voldemort's voice had become softer, however the tone was still as cold as ice.

Draco momentarily closed his eyes, willing all emotion off his face, before standing up. "My Lord." He mumbled.

"Crucio!"

Draco dropped to the floor with a sharp gasp as he felt the excruciating pain the Crucriatus curse provided. He trashed on the floor, trying to bend himself in every possible way that would lessen the pain. His body felt like it was on fire while millions of needles pierced his skin deeper and deeper. His head felt like it was about to explode and he grabbed it with both of his hands. He tried to scream, but all that came out was a raspy breath. Feeling dizzy and disorientated when the curse was lifted, he managed to get on his hands and knees.

"You have failed to bring me the bracelet!" Voldemort roared. "And now the Potter boy has somehow managed to get his hands on it and destroy it! _Crucio_!"

Draco scrunched his eyes shut, his skin on fire once again. He bit down the sleeve of his robe, muffling the sobs as he couldn't hold back the tears that streamed down his cheeks. He couldn't scream, he couldn't think and he could barely breathe. Just when he thought he was going to pass out, the curse was removed.  
There was silence in the entire room, except for the laboured breathing coming from Draco who was lying on the floor.

"My _friends_," Voldemort spoke up after a few moments, "The time has arrived. In two hours time, we will fight the Aurors in the final battle to victory in Godric's Hollow. The Wizarding World shall soon be cleansed of Mudbloods and Muggle-loving idiots!"

He paused, sneering down at Draco who was struggling to get back on his feet. " I will deal with your mother later, boy." He hissed. "Severus!"

Severus rose from his kneeled position on the floor. "My Lord."

"Get that failure out of my sight!"

"Of course, my Lord." Severus bowed, before grabbing the boy by the collar of his robes and hauling him into a standing position, before starting to drag him out of the room. Once they had passed the wards around Riddle Manor, he Apparated the both of them to London.

Severus walked down the deserted London street with Draco a few steps behind. Both were silent, though Severus could hear the odd whimper from Draco whenever he would stretch something in the wrong way. The boy _had_, after all been held under the Cruciatus for several minutes more than once.

After having left Riddle Manor, they had both Apparated to the outskirts of the area where Grimmauld Place was situated. He didn't want to take any chances of anyone following them and they did not have the time to Apparate to his mother's house, then Floo to Grimmauld Place afterwards. So Severus led Draco through several alleys.

"Professor?" Draco asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "Could we… perhaps stop for a few minutes?"

Stopping, Severus turned around to look at the boy and arched an eyebrow. "Draco?"

"It's nothing, really. I just need to catch my breath." Draco leaned against the nearest wall and breathed in deeply. "You were walking so bloody fast."

Draco wrapped his black robes tighter around his body, it was cold for a night in the early May. He had actually expected that it would be a bit warmer. Looking up at Snape, he found that the other man did not seem to be cold or even feeling the slightly bit of it.

He sighed and shivered lightly. Perhaps it was just him then, an after effect of the Unforgivable. He could still feel the curse within his body, pain flaring up in his tendons and joints whenever he would move too fast or wrong. He still had a throbbing headache and Draco reached up to clutch his temple with one hand, willing the headache to disappear.

"Draco?" Severus inquired impatiently. "Are you ready to leave? I would prefer to arrive at the house as soon as possible. You can rest when we get there."

Draco nodded. "Yeah, sure." He muttered and pushed himself away from the brick wall, wincing as he stretched out his strained limbs. Slowly he began to walk forward as Snape turned around stalked ahead of him toward their destination.

Once again they walked in silence, Draco stopping every few moments to catch his breath or to clutch his robes within his fists. Finally, they arrived at Grimmauld Place and wandered down the street until they reached the house of the Potter boy.

* * *

Harry had been pacing since Snape and Malfoy had been called. Something was up and Harry almost say for sure that it had something to do with the destruction of the cup. He wondered if Voldemort had felt his Horcruxes being destroyed. And if he had, why hadn't he taken any action any time sooner? But that was not what worried him the most. He wondered what was going to happen now. There was only one Horcrux left and that was himself.

Hermione and Ron kept exchanging nervous glances as they watched Harry pace. All three of them hadn't spoken a single word since Snape and Malfoy had taken off in a hurry. Hermione was about to ask something when Harry suddenly let out a sharp hiss as he pressed his hand against his scar.

"Harry?" Hermione jumped off the sofa, hurrying over to him. "Harry? Are you alright? What do you see?"

Harry winced, scrunching his eyes shut. "Godric's Hollow." He softly said. "They will attack in two hours in Godric's Hollow."

"Oh God…" Hermione whispered. "We have to owl the Order."

Harry nodded, still rubbing at his scar. "McGonagall, too. Carrow was sent to Hogwarts to kill Parkinson."

"But Parkinson is here." Ron frowned.

"Yeah, we know that." Harry sighed. "But she doesn't. She's probably on her way to the hospital wing as we speak."

"Madame Pomfrey!" Hermione drew in a gasp. She turned around and ran upstairs to get some parchment, banging on Pansy's door twice when she passed it. "Parkinson, downstairs in three minutes!" She yelled, before continuing the way to the library.

Severus walked up the few steps to the front door of Grimmauld Place Number Twelve and grabbed the handle, twisting it until the door opened easily. He stepped inside, followed closely by Draco who was clutching his robes around his shivering body. The boy was rubbing at his cheeks, trying to wipe away the dried tear stains.

Walking past the portrait of Mrs. Black, Severus ignored her comment about filthy blood traitors and Mudbloods and entered the drawing room. Without a word, he sat down in his usual chair and waited for Draco to come in, who appeared a few moments later. The boy slowly walked over to the sofa and slumped down on it.

Hermione stomped down the stairs again, walking into drawing room. She stopped at the sight of a shivering Draco and heaved a sigh, dumping the parchment and quill in Harry's lap. "Write the owls, Harry. I'll make some tea." She nodded at him, before going into the kitchen.

Harry stared after her for a moment, before starting on the owls. Hermione entered the room again several minutes later, carrying a tea tray. She set it down on the table and sat down next to Harry.

Pansy sucked her breath in and held her hand over the mark on her arm as she felt the aftershocks of being called, but not having answered the call. When she heard the knock on the door followed by Granger's voice, she jumped up from her bed and went over to the door. She opened it and quickly descended the stairs.

Pansy entered the drawing room and gasped at the sight of Draco, he was paler than usual, his hair was in disarray and he was shivering. She hurriedly moved across the room and sat down beside him. "Draco." She whispered.

"What are we going to do, Harry?" Hermione sighed.

"Prepare for the worst." Harry darkly muttered.

"I mean, what are we going to do with Parkinson?" She aksed.

Pansy looked up at the mentioning of herself. "What about me?" She asked in a wary voice.

"We cannot leave you here when we go to Godric's Hollow." Hermione shook her head.

Frowning, Pansy stared at Granger. "Why not?" She questioned.

"We will not leave you here all by yourself. We just _can__'__t_." She gave Parkinson a pointed look.

"It's not like I'm going to burn down the house or anything. Besides I can take care of myself, so why can't I just go along with you?" Crossing her arms, Pansy glowered at the other girl.

"Hermione is right." Harry interrupted. "We can't just leave you here. And we can't take you along either. When we took you out of Hogwarts, we made up an excuse about you being in the hospital wing for an undefined amount of time. Carrow is on her way to kill you. Voldemort will not expect you to show up at the battle in Godric's Hollow. We will have to find another solution." He looked at Hermione.

Hermione nodded. "What about the Order?" She asked. "We can just ask them to relocate her until the battle is over."

"She's a Death Eater. They will arrest her." Harry shook. "I don't think the Order is an option."

"It's not like she has committed any crimes. Basically, she was possessed by that bloody bracelet." Hermione protested. "They can keep her safe. We can testify she was under Riddle's influence."

Harry sighed and nodded. "I'll include the request in the owl."

"Harry, give me that letter for the Order. I'll spell it with your Patronus so they know we are not some kind of set-up." Hermione held out her hand.

"Good idea." Harry gave a small smile and handed over the parchment.

* * *

'_Professor McGonagall,_

_Caitlynn Carrow is on her way to the hospital wing to _dispose_ of Parkinson. Madame Pomfrey could be in danger. I think that sending a few Aurors couldn't hurt. The final battle is to start in about two hours at Godric's Hollow. We are owling the Order to inform them, too._

_~Harry.'_

* * *

'_To the Order of the Phoenix,_

_The final battle will take place at Godric's Hollow in a bit less than two hours time. We will be present, but we cannot handle this all by ourselves, as you probably realise._

_We also request an Auror or two to pick someone up from the Order Headquarters, here at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Talk to Remus Lupin and Tonks. They will know what we are talking about._

_~Harry Potter, Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley.'_

* * *

McGonagall stepped out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place, Tonks following soon after. They dusted off their robes and left the small room in search of the occupants of the house. Walking down the hallway, they were just in time to see Severus Snape standing face to face with the portrait of Mrs. Black. They were both snapping at each other, though Mrs. Black was screeching more than anything.

Severus' face was set in an annoyed and murderous expression as he kept trying to pull the curtains closed in front of the portrait. However, Mrs. Black began to shriek so high that he could do nothing else but let go of the curtains and hold his hands over his ears.

McGonagall watched with slight amusement as Severus finally seemed to have enough of the old hag.

"Will you shut your filthy mouth, you old crone?!" He yelled and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Mrs. Black. "Not another word out of you or I shall spell your mouth shut and bathe your portrait in paint thinner."

Mrs. Black pinched her mouth shut in tight line, but not before she spat out another curse and then the curtains shut themselves with a snap. Severus grumbled and turned away from the portrait. "Infuriating old bat." It was then he noticed the two new arrivals standing in the corridor.

"Minerva." He greeted slowly as he studied them.

"Severus. "McGonagall smiled and stepped closer to him. "It has been a while."

"But not long enough." Tonks grumbled, crossing her arms, and glared at him.

"Tonks." McGonagall said warningly and arched eyebrow in the Auror's direction.

Tonks huffed and stalked past Severus, wrinkling her nose in disdain. McGongall sighed, then looked at Severus with a small quirk of her lips. "Paint thinner?"

Severus shrugged and snorted. "It would be a waste to destroy the canvas." He turned around and walked into the drawing room where Potter and the others were waiting for them. Entering the room, he sneered when he saw that Tonks had taken a seat in the chair he usually occupied. Instead of throwing the girl out of his chair, he chose to lean against the wall as he had done so often before.

McGonagall sighed and shook her head. _'__That man.__'_ She thought wryly and walked further into the drawing room, greeting Harry, Ron and Hermione in the process. Then she turned her attention to the reason why she had come here in first place. Pansy Parkinson was sitting on the sofa with a sullen expression on her face and it was clear that she was not happy with the situation.

"Miss Parkinson, I'm glad to see you in good health." McGonagall said courteously, smiling gently at the girl.

"I'm not going." Parkinson snapped instantly and glared at her.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." McGonagall sighed and walked toward Parkinson, intent on getting her to comply.

Parkinson snarled and got up from the sofa, her hands clenching into fists. "I don't care. I don't want to be the excluded one anymore. I want to help."

"That is not an option, Parkinson." Severus said steely from his spot by the door. "You have already been told the reasons why you cannot be on the field."

"I still don't have to like it." Parkinson grumbled.

Suddenly, Tonks spoke up, her voice laced with venom. "Speaking of fields. Which side will you be playing on, Snape? Are you planning on betraying us again?" She glared at him.

"Tonks! That's enough!" McGonagall whirled around, looking pointedly at the Auror.

Tonks huffed and crossed her arms, favouring to ignore Severus instead of going any further with the conversation.

Parkinson was still glowering at McGonagall. "I still don't see why I just can't stay here then, if I'm not allowed to help you fight."

"Because I don't want to risk Voldemort sending any Death Eaters here." Harry cut in, turning to look at Pansy. "I am quite sure Bellatrix can remember the location of her childhood home."

"But aren't there wards that can be put up?" Pansy looked at Potter. "Besides, if Bellatrix does remember this place, wouldn't she have come here already?"

"You really think that the wards we put up are strong enough to hold back several Death Eaters?" Harry shook his head. "Even I have my doubts about that." He glanced at McGonagall. "I think she didn't come back because she couldn't find it, or just not get in. Dumbledore made this place Headquarters of the Order for a reason. But with Dumbledore not here anymore…"

"Albus placed Grimmauld Place under the Fidelius charm when he made this place the Order's Headquarters. However, I don't know what happened once he died, since it still seems to be hidden, the Fidelius charm must still be in place. But I don't know how." McGonagall sighed.

"Still. I don't want to take the risk." Harry shook his head.

Pansy frowned and shook her head. "If I am to go with the Order, where would that place be then?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Some place safe of course." McGonagall said. "I will not tell you, just know that it is safe."

"Like that will make me feel any better." Pansy snorted.

"Stop it, Parkinson." Harry snarled. "We're only trying to keep you safe until the bloody battle is over. Stop giving us such a bloody hard time, because thanks to you, we are wasting precious time we could surely use to prepare ourselves."

Pansy stared at Potter and shrank back. She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers between each other, and swallowed. Slowly, she nodded silently.

McGonagall smiled and nodded. "Very well." Turning to look at Draco Malfoy, she asked. "Mr. Malfoy? Will you be joining Miss Parkinson as well? We could easily accommodate you."

Draco raised his head and shook it. "No, thank you, Professor. I have a score to settle with one of the Dark Lord's followers." He sneered.

"I see." McGonagall said simply. "Well, perhaps we should depart, Miss Parkinson. Every spare moment counts."

Pansy sighed and walked over to McGonagall's side. In the meantime, Tonks had gotten up from the chair and was walking out of the room while glaring at Snape.


	20. 20 De Heroibus

Title : Ars Virgarum - _De Heroibus_  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-20-78122070

* * *

_20 - De Heroibus_

It was dark outside and the abandoned streets of Godric's Hollow were deafeningly quiet. Too quiet. Harry, Hermione and Ron stood close together, wands at the ready. Behind them stood a group of about twenty-five Aurors while about the same amount had split up to guard the other streets of the small village. Harry's scar had been prickling ever since they had arrived and he knew the moment was near. None of the Death Eaters had shown themselves yet, but Harry realised it was all about the waiting game.

Suddenly, there was a green flash and glittering image of the Dark Mark appeared in a green mist in the sky. This was it. The group the Trio was standing at the end of the main road, their backs to the ruin that was once the Potters' house. Harry's jaw clenched when a cold breeze swept through the nocturnal air. Suddenly, dark-cloaked figures with white masks seemed to move in from every possible direction.

"Death Eaters." He spoke between gritted teeth.

Hermione touched his arm. "Dementors." She whispered, nodding to her left.

Harry glanced at them and nodded himself. "It's time. Go."

"Be careful, Harry." She spoke in a low voice, before glancing at the Aurors standing behind them.

They, too, had noticed the Death Eaters and the Dementors moving forward. "Spread!" Someone yelled and in the blink of an eye, they were all gone, including Ron and Hermione. Harry was alone, his wand clenched tightly into his hand. He saw Aurors and Death Eaters attacking each other, starting their battle for life or death. He felt surprisingly calm now. He glanced to his left again, before heading into the direction of the Dementors.

'_One is enough._' He reminded himself. Several metres away, he stopped, waiting for one of the Dementors picked up on him and slowly starting to move in his direction, away from the others. '_Perfect_.' He briefly closed his eyes, concentrating to let Voldemort's memories reach the surface while he tried to suppress his own thoughts, emotions and _fear_. He didn't have the time to reconsider, no time to think of what could happen if this didn't work. It just _had_ to work. He shivered involuntarily, suddenly feeling very cold. He couldn't give up, he had to remain focused on Voldemort's memories.

He reached into his mind and dug up the memory he had seen on his last visit to Godric's Hollow, the one wherein Voldemort killed his parents, before attempting to kill Harry. He didn't even dare to open his eyes when he felt the almost silky cloak of the Dementor brush his hand, before touching his cheek. He couldn't think. Not even one thought. He kept replaying Voldemort's memory over and over in his mind, before letting it slip into a different image. It was the image where Harry had seen Arthur Weasley being bitten by a giant snake.

He could hear the raspy sounds coming from the Dementor as it prepared to suck out his soul. He had witnessed it before when they had been all over Sirius. No! He couldn't think about Sirius. The image in his mind shifted again, going to the false images Voldemort had fed him about Sirius being in danger to lure Harry and his friends into the Ministry of Magic. He braced himself, forcing himself to keep thinking the same memories over and over again. When he felt some incredible force pull at his mind, he let out a silent scream and fell to his knees, holding his head in his hands. '_Voldemort__…__ Red-haired woman screaming__…__ Sirius in danger__…__ The hissing of the snake__…_' Those images kept flashing in front of his eyes and Harry felt numb, like he was only a bystander in his own mind.

What seemed to last for hours, it was in reality only a couple of minutes. Suddenly, the force was gone and Harry fell onto the ground, landing on his side. He quickly opened his eyes, groaning when the world seemed to be spinning. He looked up and scrambled back a few feet, searching for his wand, which he had dropped to the ground earlier. The Dementor was awfully close and Harry felt weak, like he was going to pass out at any moment. But he couldn't. He knew he couldn't. Finding his wand, he aimed it at the creature with a trembling hand. It didn't move back, coming even closer. Finally finding his voice again, Harry screamed.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

From the tip of his wand sprouted a silvery cloud, immediately molding into the shape of a large stag. It launched itself at the Dementor and the creature let out a deafening screech, fleeing in a flurry of silky black rags. Struggling, Harry managed to get to his feet. His Patronus was gone and he was still alive. '_So far, so good._' But there was no time to rest, willing his legs to move, he ran off into the direction where the several Aurors were battling Death Eaters.

Voldemort grimaced when he felt his last Horcrux being destroyed. How had the brat managed it? He had done it just now. Potter had managed to find a way to get rid of it without getting himself killed. His face set into a scowl, he blasted the Auror who had dared to take him on out of his path and stalked off in search of Potter. He had to be killed once and for all.

* * *

"Finally come to take your revenge?" Fenrir sneered at Remus.

Remus' eyes narrowed dangerously as he attacked the Death Eater again. He was intent on getting even with the werewolf who bit him as a young child. And getting even would just not do for Remus. He wanted him dead. _Dead_. Although Fenrir was a whole lot taller and stronger than him, Remus managed to get his fair share of blows in and deflect or duck most of what came his way. But he wasn't able to duck the Cruciatus curse Fenrir cast at him. Remus fell to the ground, writhing and thrashing in pain, his wand rolling out of reach. Unable to do anything else, he tried to crawl away, but to no avail as Fenrir kicked him in the ribs.

"You are not going _anywhere_, Lupin." He sneered. "At least not until I've had my fun. After that, you can join your late best friend Black."

Remus rolled onto his back, glaring so fiercely at him that it made Fenrir bark with laughter.

"What is a weak, old man like you to do to me?" He barked. "Glare me to death?"

The barking laughter immediately ceased when he was blasted out of the way. Remus groaned in pain and pushed himself onto his hands and knees, slowly shaking his head to get rid of the nauseous, dizzy feeling. He looked up and saw Draco Malfoy standing next to him. Remus frowned.

"He murdered my father." Draco hissed. "And he will pay for it."

Remus got up and nodded, accio-ing his wand, barely having the time to turn towards Fenrir again, before the latter attacked him again. Luckily for Remus, Draco was quick to react and blast him back another few metres. This time, it was Remus' turn to use the torture curse on Fenrir, watching the Death Eater howl and trash about. However, the curse was lifted sooner than it had been off Remus, Remus didn't waste any time on putting him into a body-bind. He moved forward on the Death Eater, slamming a foot into the werewolf's gut and pointing his wand at his throat.

"Time for payback." He snarled as he pressed the wood harder against Fenrir's pulsing vein. "You will never pass that curse to anyone else again. AVADA KEDA-"

"No!" Draco smacked Remus' arm away.

Remus opened his mouth in protest, ready to snap at the insolent brat, but Draco cut him off.

"He killed my father. My father was in Azkaban and defenceless. Let _me_ do it." Draco demanded. "I have the _right_."

"And you think I do not?" Remus angrily retorted. "He made me a werewolf. Don't you even dare talk to me about right, Malfoy!"

"That… That _thing_ claimed to have been a friend of my family for years!" Draco screamed. "He has betrayed us without blinking! He took my father away from me!" He turned to Fenrir, aiming his wand at him, his hand surprisingly steady. "And this time, I will _not_ hesitate. I will _not_ fail." He hissed in a cold voice.

Remus stared at him. There was a cold glint in the boy's eyes and he could almost feel the hate radiating off his body. He nodded. "Then do it." He turned to look at Fenrir, too. "Give him what he deserves."

Draco's face scrunched up in anger. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A dark green light emitted from the tip of his wand, hitting the Death Eater square in the chest. His yellow eyes widened slightly, his body arching as it was hit by the Killing Curse, before it dropped onto the ground again with a heavy thud. His head fell aside, his mouth slightly open, while his eyes held a dull, dead look in them. Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and forced the boy to look away from the dead body. "Come on, Draco." He whispered. "Let's go help the others." Draco nodded and took off, Remus right behind him.

* * *

Harry ducked several curses thrown his way, shooting quite a few of his own as he ran over to the Aurors. They had managed to drive the Death Eaters into Godric Hollow's graveyard. His eyes darkened a little at the memory of his last visit here. Several Patronuses illuminated the dark night as they launched themselves at the tall figures of the Dementors, keeping them at a distance, before finally managing to chase them off. Harry managed to stun several Death Eaters, the spell hitting them in the back, before they were quickly put in a body-bind.

It was there that Voldemort spotted him and stalked his way over to him, removing every one else in his path. Harry was too busy fighting off a tall Death Eater to notice another one sneaking up on him. Just when he managed to send his opponent flying several metres back, the other Death Eater shot a curse at Harry's back. Harry let out a surprised yelp when he was suddenly smacked to the ground. He glanced over his shoulder and stared into the grimacing face of Severus Snape.

"Snape, what the…" Harry gasped, then noticed the wet stain of blood on Snape's robes. "You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine. Leave me." Snape groaned, rolling off him. "The Dark Lord is on his way to you. Go, Potter. Do what you have to do. Go!"

Harry nodded and sprang to his feet again. At that moment, the sneering voice of Voldemort reached his ears.

"You may have managed to destroy my precious Horcruxes, Potter!" Voldemort roared. "But you will not leave this battle alive!"

"I could swear you the same thing!" Harry snarled.

"You insolent brat! _Crucio_!"

* * *

Ron gripped his wand tightly in his hand, his nails digging into his palm. He gazed out over the bloody battlefield where the two sides were fighting fiercely. So far no one had tried to attack him and he gratefully took the moment to gather his strength and courage to get into the fight.

Suddenly, he spotted a nearly bald, little man trying to hide behind some low bushes, obviously it didn't work very well. Ron snorted, then seethed as he saw who the man was. He stalked forward, evading a werewolf who was fighting one of the Aurors, and headed toward Wormtail's rather poor hiding place. When he was a few feet from the man, Wormtail's head whirled around and he stared at Ron. With wide eyes Wormtail squeaked and tried to hide himself further behind the bushes. Rolling his eyes, Ron pointed his wand at the leaves and set them on fire which left no hiding place for Wormtail.

"Coward!" Ron yelled, walking forward in long strides and quickly pointed his wand at Wormtail's outstretched hand which was trembling and clutching his own wand. "Expelliarmus!" He watched as the wand was thrust out of the other man's hand, landing several feet away, and was crushed under the enormous foot of a wandering giant. At the same time his disarming spell had uprooted a jagged piece of rock from the ground in front of Wormtail and had caused it strike him at the side of his head.

Ron smirked and finally came close enough to stare into Wormtail's face as well as jab his own wand into the short man's throat. "Wormtail." He hissed.

"W-Weasley… R-Ron. Would you really kill me, Ron? I-I was a good pet to you." Wormtail pleaded, his beady, bloodshot eyes looking up at him piteously. The short, stocky Animagus kneeled on the ground, holding a hand to his bleeding temple, and looked around him for a way out. "W-wasn't I a good pet?"

"I've heard all this before, Wormtail." Ron spat and kept his wand trained on Wormtail's throat. He pressed the tip further against the older man's throat. "It didn't work last time and it certainly won't work now."

"B-but-"

"Shut up!" Ron growled and glared at Wormtail. "Just shut up."

Suddenly, Wormtail began to shrink in size and Ron's eyes widened as his opponent turned into his Animagus form. Launching himself at the rat which was quickly scurrying away, Ron closed his fist around thin air and he roared with rage. He punched his fist into the soft ground below and quickly got to his feet, running after the rat and dodging around the fighting bodies of both Aurors and Death Eaters. He ducked a curse or two, jumped over the limp and lifeless body of a Death Eater and followed to Wormtail to the edge of the battle field.

Finally, it seemed as if he could get a good view of and aim at the little Animagus. Ron quickly cast a stunning spell, hitting Wormtail squarely in the back and the rat fell over on the ground. Ron ran over to Wormtail and picked the stunned rat up by its tail. Unblinking eyes stared at him as the small furry body dangled in front of his face. A curse whizzed past his ear, gracing the shell and Ron fell to the ground, Wormtail's small body clutched in one hand and his wand in the other as he covered his head.

Ron looked around for the one who had thrown the curse at him, but found no one. It seemed it had just been a stray curse, fortunately. He stumbled to his feet, still holding onto Wormtail with a tight grip. Small, muted whimpers escaped the slightly open jaw of the Animagus. Ron grumbled and looked down at Wormtail, rolling his eyes. "What am I going to do with you?" He muttered to himself and scratched his head.

He glanced around for anything to give him an idea. It was then he saw the Dementors hovering around, swooping down and grapping unsuspecting victims who were more focused on their opponents on the ground than those in the air. Ron looked back at Wormtail and pointed his wand at the rat. He spoke the counter spell for the stunning spell and immediately Wormtail began squirming. "Stop it and transform back, Wormtail." Ron ordered. "Or I'll stun you again and leave you on the ground to be squashed by giants, just like your wand."

Squeaking, the rat began to grow in size and Ron found himself clutching the grimy robes of the shorter man.

"W-what are you going to do?" Wormtail stammered, his eyes flickering between Ron's face and his wand which was once again lodged firmly at Wormtail's jugular.

Ron smirked grimly and spun Wormtail around and pushed him toward the Dementors, his wand now poking Wormtail's back. Ron kept shoving the shorter man forward until he could feel the icy cold sensation running through his veins as they got closer to the Dementors. Quickly, he gave Wormtail one last shove, then stepped back as the dark creatures drifted down, surrounding them.

Ron pointed his wand at the Dementors. "Expecto Patronus!" He cried out and watched as his Patronus materialized in the form of a small Jack Russell terrier. The small glowing white dog began barking and growling loudly at the hovering Dementors and drove them back slightly, giving Ron time to run as fast as he could.

Once Ron felt like the blood in his veins was flowing normally again, he stopped and turned around. His Patronus came running toward him, tongue lolling out its mouth. It ran up to his side and jumped around his legs happily and Ron crouched down to pat its head. Just as he touched the small dog, it licked his hand once and dissolved.

Smiling sadly at the place where his Patronus had been, Ron looked at Wormtail who was cowering beneath the Dementors crowding the short man. One Dementor reached out with a bony hand to touch Wormtail's cheek and drew the trembling man closer. Then with its other hand it slowly lowered its hood and bent down, close to Wormtail's face.

Ron watched with a grimace as the Dementor latched onto Wormtail's mouth and sucked. Wormtail whimpered and squirmed, but eventually he fell limply onto the ground as the Dementor released its grip on him. Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

* * *

"Well, well, well… What do we have here? A Mudblood and a the Half-blooded brat of my sister." Bellatrix sneered as she looked at Hermione and Tonks, her wand trained on them. The Death Eater smirked and Hermione grumbled as she gripped her own wand tightly in her hand and glared at Bellatrix.

"Nice to see you too, Auntie Bella." Tonks groused, glowering at the witch was standing opposite her and Hermione.

"Don't you dare call me that, Half-blood. You don't have the right." Bellatrix snarled and advanced on them, flinging a curse Hermione.

Hermione quickly jumped out of the way and threw her own curse. "Impedimenta!"

Bellatrix calmly moved to the side and uttered an over exaggerated yawn, covering her mouth slightly with her hand. "Is that the best you can do, little girl?" She smirked.

"Not at all." Tonks pointed her wand at her aunt. "Incarcerous!" Ropes sprung from the tip of her wand toward Bellatrix.

"Finite Incantatem!" Bellatrix shouted and the ropes dispersed in the blink of an eye. Her smirk transformed into a manic grin. "You'll have to much, much better than that, my darling, little Half-blood niece." She sneered.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and stared at Bellatrix. That woman was simply infuriating and far too confident. Hermione studied the witch in search of any flaw in her defence that they could use against her. Bellatrix Lestrange was a strong witch, one of the reasons why she had made it so far up in the ranks of the Death Eaters. She was also convinced of her victory and she played with them in a lazy manner, until she probably would have enough and proceed to make an attempt at torturing them. And that was Hermione and Tonks would have to play at.

"Tonks, we need to finish this and soon." Hermione muttered to Tonks, watching Bellatrix out of the corner of her eyes at the same time.

"I know, but how?" Tonks asked as she fired another hex at her aunt. "Got any ideas?"

"We need to hit her weak point, repeatedly." She said and sidestepped a curse from Bellatrix.

Tonks nodded slowly, then pushed Hermione to the side as Bellatrix began firing a steady stream of hexes and curses in their direction. "Great… Does she even have any?"

"Her pride." Hermione said matter-of-factly with a smirk.

"Eh?" The Auror uttered. "How?"

"She thinks she is better than us and that she can beat us." She pointed out and ducked a jet of green light. "That was close." Hermione breathed. "Stupefy!"

"It singed your hair." Tonks muttered and flung her arm and wand out toward their opponent. "Petrificus Totalis!"

"Follow my lead." Hermione said and broke into a run, Tonks following closely behind her with a confused look on her face. "We need more favourable ground to fight on!" She yelled and ran for a couple of small hills. Hermione skidding to a halt at the foot of the closest hill and quickly hurried around it. "Come on!"

"Hermione, hiding behind small hills won't work all that well." Tonks said as she joined her.

"No, but it gave us time and distance from Bellatrix. We need to breathe between spells." Hermione explained, slightly out of breath. "And we simply have to hit where it hurts the most. As I said; her pride."

"Yeah, I got that part."

"Do you really think you can run from me?" Bellatrix crowed from the other side of the hill. "Come out, come out, little children. I won't hurt you… much." She snickered.

"Sod off!" Tonks yelled.

"Oh, please." Hermione scoffed loudly and winked at Tonks. "As if you could catch us!"

Bellatrix walked around the hill and crossed her arms, her wand tapping lightly against her elbow. She glared at them. "Of course I can, I have just caught you."

"No, we just waited here for you to catch up, old woman." Hermione taunted while she backed away, a hand on Tonks' robes dragging her with her. "You couldn't even outrun a Flobberworm."

"What?!" Bellatrix screeched.

"Oh, you might be a Pureblood, but we can still beat you." Hermione said. "Watch how a Half-blood and a Mudblood deal with people like you."

Bellatrix seethed and raised her wand. "How dare you, you filthy little creature?"

"I dare, because I can." Hermione said, then turned her head to face Tonks. "Don't you think so, Tonks?"

"Absolutely." Tonks nodded in agreement as she took another couple of steps back, standing a few feet behind Hermione.

In the meantime Bellatrix was glaring murderously at Tonks. "You are no blood of mine!" Then she looked at Hermione with a condescending expression on her face. "And you! You filthy Mudblood… Avada-" Bellatrix began, her wand raised high above her head, glaring steely at Hermione in front of her.

"Hermione, duck!" Tonks yelled and a flash of metal zoomed over Hermione's head and a silver dagger lodging itself squarely in Bellatrix' throat. A scream died in the witch's throat as she gurgled and then slumped to the ground in a heap, her eyes staring sightlessly at nothing.

Hermione stared at Tonks for a few moment, her mouth agape. "You threw a dagger at her!"

Tonks smiled grimly. "Yeah."

"You could have hit me!" Hermione continued staring at Tonks with unblinking eyes.

"But you ducked like I told you." Tonks pointed out as she poked Bellatrix' body with a foot. "She would have killed you if I hadn't killed her first."

Hermione sighed and nodded. "I know."

* * *

Hermione and Ron met each other somewhere in the middle of one of the streets.

"Where's Harry?" Ron asked with a worried expression on his face.

"I have no idea." Hermione shook her head, but then cocked her head when she heard some strange song. "Wait… What is _that_?"

"Music?" Ron frowned. "But where the hell…?"

"It's coming from the graveyard." Hermione nodded and pulled at his sleeve. "Come on, Ronald!"

The phoenix song could be heard loud and clear all over the small village, while ghostly images hovered over the graveyard, which had now turned into a small battlefield. Harry wasn't nearly as surprised as the first time it had happened at the graveyard in Little Hangleton, but he had almost completely about the Priori Incantatem effect. Not that he had any chance to analyse or pay attention it any further since he was still ducking and deflecting Voldemort's hexes and trying his best to get a few decent hits in himself.

Harry barely avoided a blasting curse by an inch, ducking to the side, but the curse that followed, he simply couldn't deflect.

"Imperio! Rise, brat!" Voldemort cackled.

Harry felt himself standing up and walking closer to Voldemort, his wand arm limly hanging by his side. He gritted his teeth and tried to tear away from the curse. Voldemort simply laughed at his futile resistance.

"You are _mine_, Potter! You never thought that you of all people, the son of a Muggle-loving fool and a Mudblood whore, could defeat the greatest wizard of all times, now did you? I _made_ you into what you are, Potter, and I will take it away just the same, simple way!" He sneered in a cold voice and pointed his wand at the boy. "There is nothing you can do, Potter. You will not even attempt to move while I send you off to join your dead parents!"

The mentioning of his parents made Harry furious. '_No!_' He mentally screamed. '_You killed them and you will pay for that! I will not surrender that easily!_' He managed at wriggle his fingers, concentrating to break the Imperius curse and get control over his own body again.  
"AVADA – "

Suddenly, Harry found himself able to move again. He aimed his wand at Voldemort and screamed. "SECTUMSEMPRA! SECTUMSEMPRA! SECTUMSEMPA!" He watched the spells hit Voldemort square in the chest, sending him back several feet, where he staggered and looked down at the large gashes on his body.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled and ran towards him, Ron close behind her.

"It's time. We have to do it now!" Harry shouted back. "Where's Malfoy?!"

"Right here, Potter." Draco ran up to the three of them, panting heavily. His hair was in disarray and he was covered in dirt, dried blood and bruises.

"I am not done with you, Potter!" The Dark Lord roared. He was staggering, bleeding, but still standing.

"Not for much longer." Snape coldly spoke, limping towards the foursome while aiming his wand at Voldemort.

The four teenagers did the same, but Voldemort simply sneered in a way that chilled Harry to the bone.

"Severus… And so the traitor _finally_ reveals himself." He snorted. "Your biggest mistake, Severus, was to denounce me! Avada Kedavra!"

Snape's eyes momentarily widened when the green light hit him, before dropping to the ground, dead.

"Snape!" Draco gasped.

"No time, Malfoy!" Hermione roughly grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "The spell, we have to do it _now_!"

Draco blinked, then nodded. They raised their wands and spoke all together. "Face ea res inanem animae. Malum, ede animam. Face ea res inanem animae. Malum, ede animam..."

Voldemort's body arched painfully, his mouth opening in a deafening scream. Green mist began to swirl around him as the soul part was being ripped from his body. The four youngsters could feel the sweat drip down their faces and into the collars of their robes and shirts as they continued to repeat the spell. It took a more effort than the enchanted objects, but it seemed that it was working. Voldemort twisted and wrung his body in all kinds of directions, pulsing veins appearing on his forehead. Harry's eyes narrowed and he raised his voice a little, chanting the spell louder and louder with each turn.

Slowly, the mist erupting from Voldemort's body began to turn black and with one last screech, he fell to the ground, nothing more than an empty shell of what he had been before. The sight of Voldemort's soulless body lying in the dust was the last thing Harry remembered, before everything went black in front of his eyes before he passed out.


	21. Epilogue De Requie

Title : Ars Virgarum - _Epilogue - De Requie_  
Authors : **xnuinx** & **draco_crescendo**  
Pairing : Overall gen - implied pairings may occur.  
Rating : Overall R/NC-17  
Warnings : War-fic, dark stuff, angst.  
Disclaimer : All HP characters and names are copyright of JK Rowling. We use them for our own pleasure, we do not make money out of this.  
Feedback : Oh yes, hit us harder!  
Beta : **essayel** & **flosspyromaniac**.  
Summary : After Dumbledore's death, loose ends are left untied. The war is lurking from behind the corner, ready to strike. While the Trio begins their search for the Horcruxes, they encounter a number of obstacles that must be overcome. Will they succeed or will all of their efforts fail in the end?

Chapter Art: .com/art/Illustration-Ars-Virgarum-21-78122238

* * *

_Epilogue - De Requie_

Harry was leaning against the crispy white pillows of his hospital bed in St. Mungo's. He had woken up several hours ago, but none of the healers had come to check on him yet. His body ached all over, feeling like it had been run over by a horde of Hippogryffs. He was covered in cuts and bruises, many of which he couldn't even remember when or how he had gotten them.

Harry only knew that he felt drained, like all of his energy had been sucked out of him, but he supposed that had to do with getting rid of the Horcrux and destroying the last soul part in Voldemort's body. He hoped one of the healers would drop by soon to tell him he could go home. At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

McGonagall opened the door to Harry's hospital room slightly and peeked in to see if he was awake. She had arrived earlier that day at St. Mungo's to check up on everyone who had come out worse for wear from the battle, enough to be admitted.

While the healers had given her a lot of grief by refusing to let her visit, her steely resolve to see every member of the Order and other allies had forced the healers to comply eventually. She, herself, had walked out of the final battle with a few minor scrapes and bruises, and a slight limp in her let foot.

When McGonagall saw that Harry was sitting up in his bed and wide awake, she walked into the room with a smile on her lips. "Good afternoon, Harry." She greeted.

"Good afternoon, Professor." Harry nodded. He didn't quite know what to say next, so he fumbled with the sheets instead.

"How are you, Harry?" McGonagall asked and went over to sit down on the chair by the side of Harry's bed. "You have been out for quite a few days."

He shrugged. "I'm alright, I guess. I'm tired. Just… Tired."

"Logically." She nodded. "You used a rather large amount of magic to kill Voldemort." McGonagall reached out and patted Harry's hand.

"It's over now, isn't it?" Harry quietly asked. "It's _really_ over now, right? With Voldemort gone for good?"

McGonagall smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. "Yes, you did it, Harry. All of you."

He nodded. "How is everyone else? Are Ron and Hermione alright? What about Tonks and Professor Lupin?"

"They're all fine, a few bumps and a couple of broken bones." She answered. "Ron and Hermione needed to let their magic replenish, but they are doing just fine now. They went home the day after. I believe they were here earlier to visit you, but you were still asleep, I suppose." McGonagall let go of Harry's hand. "As for Tonks and Remus, they were released yesterday and are staying at Tonks' place for the time being."

Harry nodded again. "What happened to Snape? His body, I mean…"

McGonagall looked down at her lap, a sad smile on her lips. "He was buried the day after the battle."

"Where?"

"Uig, Harry."

Harry scrunched up his face in confusion. "Uig?" He frowned. "Where in God's name is _that_?"

"It's a small village in the north of the Inner Hebrides. Severus was brought up there."

There was a silence between them. Harry shifted uncomfortably, looking away with a nod. He remembered how he and Snape had viewed parts of each other's minds during the Occlumency lessons, under cover of Remedial Potions. He recalled the memory of a small boy cowering in a corner while another deep voice scolded. Harry had never known the exact circumstances of that memory, but he felt like he didn't need – or didn't want – to know. He had never liked Snape, loathed him even. Nothing if that had changed, not even after Snape had taken a curse for him at Godric's Hollow. But sometimes, you talked and thought different about someone after their death. Not that Harry would ever admit that to anyone out loud. He heaved a sigh.

"Am I allowed to leave this place?" He looked up from the sheets. "Today?"

"Yes." She said and nodded. "Which was one of the reasons I came to see you today. I will escort you back to Grimmauld Place if you want?"

Harry have a small smile, then shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Professor." He softly said. "I'm not going to Grimmauld Place just yet. I think there's something else I need to do first."

McGonagall looked at him and arched an eyebrow. "Well." She got up from the chair. "Then perhaps, I should finish my visitation rounds and let you get dressed." Smiling at him, she headed toward the door.

Harry nodded and when she was out the door, he got out of the bed and started to get dressed.

* * *

After looking up the location of Uig on a map, Harry travelled their by train and other Muggle transportation. For some reason, he simply didn't feel like Apparating to a place he had never been to before. What if he splinched? Or ended up somewhere completely wrong? '_Oh yeah, perfect for the _Boy Hero." He shook his head with a small grin.

Uig was a small village indeed. People passed him by without sparing him a second glance, but Harry didn't mind one bit. He walked around for a while, frowning when he couldn't find a cemetery. On his right, he noticed a pub and decided to try his luck there. He entered it and walked up to the counter.

"Excuse me." He spoke up in a loud voice, since the place was rather crowded and noisy. "Is there a graveyard around here somewhere?"

"What, boy?" The bartended asked. "Come again?"

"A graveyard!" Harry shouted in the man's ear.

"A graveyard? In Uig?" The bartender gave a toothless grin. "Mate, you listen to me. We haven't buried a corpse in Uig's graveyard for years. Our graveyard is old and has been unused for ages. We bring our dead to…"

"Where is it?" Harry cut in. "The graveyard. Where can I find it?"

"Well…" The man sighed. "If you insist. It's at the edge of the village. Where the burnt down church is. You won't find anything there, mate."

"Thanks anyway." Harry nodded and turned to leave again.

He looked around some more and couldn't help but smile a little when he noticed a burnt down church a yew yards away. The actual village had probably moved away from the church a bit over the years. Why they hadn't simply rebuilt the church was a mystery to him, but that was not why he was here today.

Arriving at the graveyard that lay beside the church, he peered through the rusty gates, before pushing them open. It surely seemed that no one had been buried here recently. Harry walked around for a while, sighing. Maybe McGonagall had been wrong about the place? Well, she had to be since… Then, something caught Harry's eye.

In what had once been the solid brick wall surrounding the graveyard, there was a big hole. He frowned and walked over to it. When he stuck his head through it, he could see a lonely house standing on the edge of a cliff, looking out over the sea. '_Strange place to build a house._' Harry thought to himself.

Involuntarily, he shivered. There was something special about that house, he could sense it. It was all around. Not only coming from the house, but also from its direct environment. He frowned and when he had studied it for another ten minutes or so, it suddenly dawned on him. It was magic. '_Then this must be the house that once belonged to Snape__'__s mother, the one Snape and Malfoy had been hiding in after they fled Spinner__'__s End._' Things started to fall into place as Harry remembered overhearing that part in a conversation between Malfoy and Parkinson.

He pulled his head back and turned around, glancing around the graveyard again. Something in the far corner drew his attention and he went to see what it was. And there it was after all, a deep grey tombstone.

"_Severus Tobias Snape._

_Our Most Trusted._

* * *

There were no flowers on the grave and Harry couldn't help but think that Snape would probably have hated them anyway. The only thing that stood out was the gold medal embedded in the stone. Harry kneeled down to take a closer look at it. It was an Order of Merlin, First Class, awarded to Snape post-mortem.

"Finally got what you wanted after all, didn't you, you greasy bastard?" Harry gave a humourless, bitter smile. "Yeah, well. I think you may have deserved this one."

He rose to his feet again and made his exit, glancing over his shoulder at Snape's final resting place one more time. When he neared the gates, he noticed a familiar figure standing there.

Pansy was walking toward the small graveyard with the intent of visiting Professor Snape's grave. She hadn't been there since his funeral and she felt like she should visit him once in a while, the professor had after all done what he could to protect her life. Pansy kicked up a few pebbles on the ground as she came closer to the rusty, iron gates.

She stopped suddenly just as she was about to enter through the half open gates. Someone was sitting by one of the graves and Pansy could make out the dark silhouette of a man. When he got up and turned around, Pansy gasped. "Potter?"

"Pansy." Harry nodded in greeting, stopping a few metres away from her.

Pansy looked past him to where he had been crouched and noted the dark grey tombstone. She walked past him with a slight nod and stopped by the professor's grave. She stuck her hand into her pocket and fumbled around in search of the item she had brought with her. Pulling it out, she took her wand out at the same time and enlarged the book to its original size.

Pansy placed it by the tombstone, then brushed her hand against the stone. "Thank you." She muttered and turned around to look at Potter. "They finally let you out of St. Mungo's then…"

"Yeah, they did. I don't even know how long I've been out…" He shrugged, then peered past her. "What's that book?"

"Just an old potions book he let me borrow to pass the time at Grimmauld Place." Pansy shrugged. "But it had his notes nearly everywhere in the margins, so I thought he might like it back."

Harry remained quiet for a few minutes, staring off into nothingness, before turning his attention back to Pansy. "The Order took good care of you?"

Pansy nodded. "I was bored like you couldn't believe it. But I'm alive." She grinned and walked toward Potter. "As for how long you've been out? Nearly a week."

"Honestly, I don't think I've missed much." He gave a small smile, before turning serious again. "What happened to Malfoy by the way?"

"Haven't missed much?" Pansy snorted and walked out of the graveyard, once outside she stopped and waited for Potter to follow. "Only my trial." She muttered. "And Draco is in France with his mother."

"I see." Harry nodded, then frowned. "Your trial? Wow, that went fast… Wait. How did that go?" He quickened his steps to catch up with her.

Pansy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Well, how do you think it went since I'm standing here… with my wand in my hand and no Aurors in sight?" She smirked. "I owe your friends my gratitude and I owe my freedom especially to Granger. If it weren't for her testimony I would be in Azkaban now."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that's Hermione. Made quite a show it, too, I suppose." He paused. "I owe my friends a lot more than just gratitude." He tucked his hands in his pockets and looked at the sky. "So… What are you going to do now that the war is over?"

Pansy tapped her chin slightly with a single finger. "I don't know really. I mean I haven't even finished Hogwarts with everything that happened… but then neither have you." She gestured at him. "I'm not sure, maybe just live for a while and then maybe see if I can take seventh year again next term." Pansy shrugged lightly and began walking slowly toward the centre of small town.

"Yeah. Time will tell, I guess." Harry shrugged.

"I guess it will." She smiled and looked up at the sky as well, closing her eyes and soaking the warmth of the sun's rays. "What about you? Do you have any grand plans?"

"Not really." He sighed. "I hadn't really thought ahead." '_I didn__'__t dare to__…_' He admitted to himself.

"Oh." Pansy nodded and looked at Potter. Smirking, she leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly before drawing back, continuing to walk ahead. "I never did thank you for all you did for me." She smiled and said sincerely. "Thank you, Potter. For everything. And don't make me repeat that, _ever_."

He looked at her with a smile. "I won't." He continued to walk. "So… How about some drinks while we decide about what we are going to do next?"

"Drinks?" Pansy arched an eyebrow. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"I'm suggesting we hit a bar wherever and celebrate the end of this war." He grinned. "And our return to a normal life."

"Hmm… I might agree to that." She smirked. "You're paying."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at that. They walked off together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts about life, war and aftermath. Harry inwardly let out a sigh in relief, but couldn't hold back that one thought that crossed his mind. '_And to think it all started with a prophecy, a normal family and that one stupid scar__…_'

_FIN._

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Authors' Note: So finally I've managed to get around to uploading all the chapters of this story, even though it itself has been finished for several years. Unfortunately, until recently school, work and pure laziness had been kicking my butt and still is once the Easter hols are over. But now, with my deepest apologies for leaving the story hanging, I have completed it. Also I have added links for the chapter illustrations, also made years ago. *_*

~Nuin


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